When We Were Young
by cartoonstar
Summary: Prequel to Sick Cycle Carousel. The kids of Jump City are now freshman in high school. They soon learn that high school is a completely different experience than they thought it would be.
1. Chapter 1

Kori Anders couldn't be more excited as she got dressed for school today. Most people would find it weird that a teenage girl would be happy to be going to school but Kori believed today to be a special school day. Today she would start high school so she thought that was a good reason to smile this morning.

Her smile turned into a frown as she searched through her closet.

"No... no... no!" she threw her purple tank top across the room in frustration. She needed to find something to wear and fast.

The rd-head continued to search through her closet, her emerald green eyes scanning over every piece of clothing. A wide smile spread across her face as she found the perfect outfit. A white skirt and a black tank top along with a white sweater that was decorated with gold stars. Kori smiled and grabbed her white boots, putting them on. She wasn't one to spend hours in front of the mirror or anything like that but she had to admit, she looked pretty good today. Her white clothes complemented her tan skin very well.

Kori practically floated downstairs with happiness as she entered the kitchen. "Good morning family!" she said happily.

Luan, Kori's mother, looked up and smiled at her youngest child. "Good morning, Kori. You look lovely."

"Thanks mom," she sat down at the kitchen table. "Good morning dad."

Myan Anders looked up from his newspaper and narrowed his eyes. He didn't like the fact that his youngest daughter, who was starting high school today which was filled with hormone driven boys, was wearing a skirt. "You are not leaving this house dressed like that."

"Like what?" Kori looked herself over. She thought she looked fine.

"You're exposing to much. Go and change." he ordered. Kori gulped, her father could be... scary at times.

"Myan, leave her alone," scolded Luan as she set a plate of food in front of her husband. "Kori, you look fine. Really, there is no need to change."

Kori smiled at her mother who was like the opposite of her father and more understanding.

"Are you excited about your first day at high school, Kori?" Luan asked as she unfolded a napkin.

Kori nodded with a smile.

"I still think you should have gone to that boarding school." Myan muttered. Over the summer Myan had tried to convince his two daughters to go to an all girls boarding school. He yelped when Luan crushed her heel in his foot.

Luan smiled and looked at her daughter. "Will you be needing a ride, Kori?"

Kori shook her head. "Me and the others are going to walk to school."

Luan nodded and sighed. "Where is Komi? She should have been down by now. I wouldn't want her to be late to school."

Kori stopped a moment to think about her older sister; Komi. Komi was also in high school but she was beginning her sophomore year today. Kori wished she would have asked Komi for some advice, after all Komi was more experienced in high school affairs after surviving her first year. Then again even if she had asked Kori doubted her sister would have given her advice. Her and her sister weren't exactly the best of friends.

"Mmm, pancakes. Yummy." Komi said as she stepped into the kitchen.

Kori's eyes popped out. "That's my red sweater! How did you... When did you...?"

"Oh, I hope you don't mind sister dear." Komi said with a smug smile.

"Dad!" Kori cried.

"Be nice to your sister, Komi." Myan scolded absently as he read the newspaper.

Luan sighed and checked the time. "Kori, you should get going. You don't want to be late."

"Right. Bye mom, bye dad...," Kori said as she began to leave. "Bye evil sister who steals my sweaters!"

Komi glared at her younger sister. "Dad!"

"Be nice to your sister, Kori."

The comment went unheard as Kori had already left the house and walked outside. She breathed in the fresh air and smiled. Today was a lovely day. The sun was shining and... a baseball was heading straight for her...

"OW!" Kori rubbed her head and glared at the baseball that rolled to her feet on the ground.

"Well, I guess today's not your lucky day."

Kori turned her head and smiled at who she saw. "Hey, Raven. Are you ready for school?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," she said absently as she picked up the baseball. She glared at the little kids across the street who clearly had no manners. "Let's go, Kori."

Kori nodded and followed Raven along the sidewalk. As they were walking Raven tossed the baseball in the trash. She grinned as the kids shouted at her.

"Was that really necessary?" Kori asked.

"They hit you on purpose with a baseball so yeah, it was," Raven replied. "I bet you wouldn't scold Dick if he did that."

Kori groaned. "Not this again..."

"Yes, this again," Raven replied dryly. "Seriously, why don't you just admit you like him."

"Uh, because I don't, at least not in that way," Kori said. "Besides, he is my best friend."

Raven shrugged indifferently. "Whatever."

Kori sighed, ever since she could remember a boy named Dick Grayson had been her best friend and for some reason people always believed them to have a crush on each other or have mistaken them for a couple.

Sure Dick was nice and handsome, not to mention well built for his age. And he had the most wonderful pair of blue sapphire eyes Kori had ever seen in her life and his hair. She just wanted to run her fingers through it... Kori shook her head, clearing her thoughts.

"Guys! Over here!"

Kori and Raven looked up and spotted two of their best friends, Victor Stone, or Vic as he is mostly known, and Karen Beecher. Kori smiled at her two friends. It was a no brainer that those two would walk together, after all they were dating. It all began in 8th grade when Vic finally got the courage to ask Karen out. After that the two remained a lasting couple.

"Kori, I love that outfit," Karen said as she gestured Kori to spin around. "Especially that sweater."

Raven rolled her eyes. "Here it comes..."

"We so need to go to the mall!"

"Yes! How about this weekend," suggested Kori. "Just us girls."

Raven sighed. "Shop-o-holics."

Vic laughed.

Raven glared at him. "Shut up or I'll make Karen turn you into our bag boy."

Vic stood silent. There was no way he would want to go through that type of torture. He decided to shift the conversation. "Hey, where are the two midgets of the group?"

"Dude! So not cool," said a voice. "We are so not midgets."

They all turned around to face the last two members of their small group of friends; Garfield Logan, a.k.a. Gar, and Dick Grayson.

"What did you say," Vic teased. "I can't hear you down there, Gar."

"Oh yeah... well... how's the weather up there?" Gar shot back.

Raven slapped her forehead in annoyance. "You give blondes a bad name."

"I do not!" yelled Gar.

Kori giggled and felt a arm wrap around her shoulders. She turned her head to the side and saw it was Dick wearing a cool smile on his face.

"You don't think I'm short do you, Kori?" he asked.

"Um..." To be honest Dick wasn't all that short. He was just a few inches shorter than Kori.

"Oh... Dick and Kori sitting in a tree--"

"Shut up! I was just asking her a question." Dick snapped at Gar and Vic as he dug his hands into his pockets.

Kori suddenly missed having his arm around her.

"Face it, Dick," mocked Vic. "You're short and you have a HUGE crush on Kori."

"Shouldn't we get going to school." said Karen, cutting off any arguing that was bond to happen. That was Karen, always to the rescue especially when it came to something that involved Kori.

The others paused and nodded. They all began to walk down the street following a side walk that would lead them to their new school.

"Wow, I can't believe we're going to high school," Karen said as they continued their walk. "It's so surreal."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," said Dick. "I'm gonna miss middle school."

"Are you crazy. Dude, going to high school is gonna be awesome," said Gar happily. "We're smarter. We're older. We're cooler. We're--"

"Late!" Vic shouted, looking down at his watch.

"Then what the hell are we standing around for," said Karen. "Let's go!"

They immediately took off in a run.

Raven huffed. "This is why one of us needs to get a car."

"Oh, or a pony!" Gar said suddenly.

Had Raven not been running she would have slapped him.

"Hey guys," Kori said, picking up her pace and pulling ahead of her friends. "I see the school. Last one there is a rotten egg!"

The others picked up their speed as well but Kori was already far ahead of her friends. She turned her head back for a moment to see that her friends were beginning to catch up. She turned her head back and noticed someone was standing in front of her. Kori was caught off guard and couldn't stop herself in time. She bumped into the person in front of her. The person she bumped into was a tall boy with messy brown hair. He turned around with anger written all over his face.

"What the hell is your problem?! Can't you see where... Oh, it's you."

Kori stood in her spot with her eyes open in shock. "Fang..."

Fang Peterson was the nightmare of Kori's entire middle school life. Not only would he pick on her but he would also pick on her friends. Whenever Kori was around Fang she put in a strong face but deep down inside she was terrified of him. He was like Frankenstein but in teenage clothing. Fang was just plain creepy and Kori had hoped she wouldn't be seeing him in high school. So much for that wish.

"What's the matter, Kori," Fang asked as he looked Kori up and down. "You don't look happy to see me."

Kori suddenly wished she listened to her father and not worn a skirt to school. That's when she suddenly felt a arm wrap around her waist. She turned her head and saw it was Dick who had his arm wrapped around her. Kori could feel the heat rise to her cheeks and blushed. Kori was so focused on the fact that Dick had his arm wrapped around her she barely noticed that her other friends arrived as well.

"Dick." Fang said with venom.

"Fang," Dick said with equal hatred. These two never got along well. "What do you think you're doing harassing Kori like this? I would have thought you learned your lesson in middle school."

"Hey, relax, Grayson," Fang said coolly. "We were just talking. Isn't that right, Kori?"

Kori avoided his gaze and said nothing.

Fang shrugged and said nothing. He turned and walked away. Once he was out of sight Dick turned to Kori.

"Are you ok? He didn't hurt you did he?"

Kori shook her head. "No, you scared him off. Thank you."

"Anything for a friend."

Gar began to cough and say thing like 'he likes her' under his breath.

"Um, guys..." Raven said, catching her friends attention, as she pointed to her watch.

Vic's eyes popped out of his head. "Oh crap we gotta go!"

With that said they ran through the high school doors and into what would be the start of their new lives.

--------------------------------

**WELL FOLKS, THERE YOU HAVE IT. THIS IS THE START TO THE PREQUEL OF SICK CYCLE CAROUSEL. I HOPED EVERYONE ENJOYED THIS FIRST CHAPTER.**

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	2. Chapter 2

The halls were full as the students walked past each other with schedules in their hands, trying to find their way to class. Two female students who already retrieved their schedules walked side by side in this new school. They were freshman as well as best friends. With all the commotion the students were given twenty minutes to find their way around school and get to first period classes.

"I really want to change my hairstyle," said the one with light brown hair that reached her shoulders. "Brown is just so dull these days."

"Jenn, your hair looks fine."

"I know but I would really like something that's different from everyone else, you know. Maybe something that brings out my eyes." said Jenn.

"Speaking about eyes check out the major hottie down the hall..."

"You are so boy crazy, Jade."

"Hey, I am not!" Jade said while crossing her arms.

"You are too," said Jenn. "It's just that once you get a guy you get picky."

"Oh, and you're not picky."

Jenn laughed. "Okay, point taken."

They continued their walk down the hall with bliss but it was ruined once someone, a red-haired boy, bumped into Jenn. Now this may not have been a problem but the boy was rushing and didn't even stop to apologize. That's when Jenn got mad.

"Hey you jerk, why don't you open your eyes and watch where you're going."

The boy paused and looked back at her. "Excuse me?"

"What are you dumb? You bumped into me just a few seconds ago." Jenn said angrily.

"And you're yelling at me because of that?" the boy asked with an amused voice.

"The word duh comes to mind." Jenn said with narrowed eyes.

This boy was beginning to bug her. Couldn't he just apologize and stop acting like a jerk already? Instead of an apology she received a insult instead from the boy with red hair.

"You might wanna think about anger management."

"Excuse me!"

"Okay, you're excused." the boy chuckled before walking off.

Jenn was left in her spot fuming. "You stupid jerk! Come back here so I can kick your ass!"

Jade quickly grabbed on to Jenn, knowing just how violent her friend could be. The last thing she needed was to start a fight with some random boy on her first day in high school.

Mean while the boy with red hair continued his walk down the hall. He sighed in frustration, that girl with the brown hair really got to him. If he would have known high school was filled with girls that had attitude problems he would have rather stayed in middle school. As he turned the hall he spotted two of his best friends. Since they currently had their backs turned he gave them a little push, almost sending them tumbling to the ground. The boy with red hair burst out laughing as his two friends turned towards him.

"Wally, dammit, you need to grow up." growled the one with orange hair.

"Aw, lighten up, Roy," said Wally coolly. "It was just a small joke."

"Shouldn't we be getting to class." mumbled the third who had black hair.

"Alain's right, we don't want to be late to class..." Roy said but he trailed off as he eyed a pair of girls walking by.

Wally shook his head. "Trust me, Roy, those girls aren't worth it."

"How would you know?"

"Cause I met one like three minutes ago and to be honest she was kind of a bitch."

"But was she cute?" Roy asked.

"Tell me something, Wally," said Alain. "You wouldn't have done anything to upset this girl now would you?"

"I sorta bumped into her but that was no reason for her to chew my head off."

Roy snickered and shook his head. Wally wasn't exactly prince charming when it came to girls. Roy suddenly stopped when he saw a familiar face.

"Yo, Dick!"

Dick, who was walking with his friends, stopped and turned his head. "Roy?"

"Hey, Dick. I didn't know you were going to this school," Roy said as he approached Dick and his group. "How is Bruce doing?"

"He's good." Dick answered.

"Hey, Dick, who's your friend?" Gar asked.

"This is Roy Harper. I met him during one of Bruce's charity balls," Dick said. "He's the ward of Oliver Queen."

"Well it's very nice to meet you, Roy," said Kori kindly as she extended her hand. "I'm Kori Anders."

Roy smiled coolly and took her hand gently. "I've heard about you. Daughter to Myan Anders," Roy kissed her hand. "Pleased to meet you."

Vic grabbed Kori and pushed her behind him. "I'm Vic and if you keep flirting with the little lady we gonna have some problems."

Roy stepped back and that's when Alain and Wally walked up behind him.

"Excuse my friend Roy," said Alain. "He's a bit of a flirt. I'm Alain Aqua."

Once Alain stepped into vew Kori and Raven gasped. They each had hearts in their eyes as they looked at Alain. They couldn't deny it, he was attractive. While they ogled him Gar introduced himself.

"Hey, the name's Gar," Gar pointed behind him. "That's Karen and that's Raven."

"I'm Wally," said Wally, introducing himself. "It's nice to meet all of you."

"We were on our way to history class," said Karen. "What about you guys?"

"We got history too."

"Cool, we can go together." Alain suggested and the others agreed.

The hearts in Kori and Raven's eyes grew as they walked behind Alain.

"He is so cute." Kori whispered to Raven.

"I know..." Raven whispered back.

It was a short walk to their history class and when they walked into their classroom Wally spotted a familiar face as did Dick and his companions.

"Oh no." they all said at the same time.

A girl with pink eyes and brown hair flashed her eyes towards the door when a small group entered the room. She immediately spotted the boy with red hair from earlier.

"You," she said bitterly, standing up from her chair. "What are you doing here?"

"I have first period here." Wally said while glaring at her.

"You mean I have class with _you_," Jenn groaned. "Gee, ain't I the lucky one."

While Jenn and Wally continued to glare at each other Dick and his friends were dealing with a familiar face of their own. Kitten Moth, the girl with blonde hair and blue eyes who had known the small group of friends since elementary school was the familiar face that Dick saw before him. Seeing her could only mean trouble...

"Dickie-poo! Is that you," Kitten shouted as she stood up and walked towards him. "It is you!"

She quickly latched herself on to his arm and pulled him closer to her. Ever since Kitten laid eyes on Dick she has had the biggest crush on him. One thing about Kitten was that she wasn't shy. She gladly showed her affection towards Dick, even if he turned her down countless times.

"Dickie-poo, you _must_ come sit with me and my friends." Kitten said as she pulled at his arm, a gesture for him to follow her.

Dick was suddenly yanked away from her.

"Sorry, but Dick is sitting with me and our friends." Kori said coldly while holding Dick's hand.

It was no secret that Kori and Kitten didn't get along but their bitter relationship turned even more furious when Dick was involved.

Before another word could be uttered amongst the students the door was slammed shut and a strict looking old man walked in. His eyes narrowed at each and every student in the room.

"Sit." he ordered.

Not one student disobeyed him. Kori, Dick, Vic, Karen, Gar and Raven took the front seats while Roy, Alain and Wally sat behind them. Behind Wally and Alain said Jenn and Jade, then it was Kitten and her friends. Behind them was a group of boys who looked less than happy to be in school.

The old man walked up to the chalk board and began to write something.

Jade leaned over to whisper something to Jenn. "This guys looks creepy."

Jenn nodded in agreement.

The old man finished what he was writing and drew a line under the sentence he wrote, causing a loud screech to be heard in the room. Some of the students covered their ears to block out the sound.

"My name is Mr. Immortus," said the old man. "I will be your teacher this year for the subject of global history." Mr. Immortus began to walk and talk at the same time around the classroom. "I do not tolerate failure nor do I tolerate disrespect. There will be no clowning around in my class room. There will be no food in this classroom. You are to be on time. There will be no fighting and no cell phones or other technology. Understood?"

Someone snorted.

Mr. Immortus paused and glared at the young man who snorted. The boy had his feet on the desk and a hood over his head.

"Name?" Mr. Immortus ordered.

"None of your business."

The class gasped.

Mr. Immortus narrowed his eyes. "Name. Now."

Silence filled the room.

"Red." was all the boy said.

That was enough for My. Immortus. He pulled out a list of students he would be teaching this year and glanced down. "Ah yes, Mr. Red... Feet off the table please."

Reluctantly Xavier did as he was told and removed his feet off the desk. "Well since you said please..."

"Listen boy, I have been working here for over thirty years. It would be best for you to not test my patience."

"I've dealt with guys scarier than you."

Mr. Immortus gritted his teeth and stalked away, muttering something under his breath. All eyes went to the front but Kori looked over her shoulder at the boy who called himself Red. With his hood over his head like that she couldn't get a good look at him. The boy lifted his head and looked back at her. Kori quickly turned her head back and when she did a large text book was dropped on to her desk. Kori eeped due to the surprise. Mr. Immortus continued to walk to each student and drop a heavy text book on their desk along with a rental card.

Vic sighed. "This is gonna be a long day."

---

The day was slowly moving by and when lunch time came, the students couldn't be happier. So far a select few of freshman had endured the torture of three classes, global history, living environment and Spanish. It was only the first day and the students already viewed Mr. Immortus as pure evil. Their second teacher, Mr. Plasmus, wasn't any better. He was extremely boring and half the time he was dozing off. Spanish class hadn't been all that bad. The teacher Mrs. Rosa was nice but she had already given them homework. It was the first day and they already had homework.

How lucky were they?

The students were just happy that lunch time finally came and they could escape from the teachers for awhile. As Kori and her friends found a empty table and made themselves comfortable, Roy came over with a wide grin on his face.

"Hey guys. Uh, Dick, can I talk to you real quick?"

"Sure," Dick stood up and excused himself from his friends. He followed Roy over to an empty table. "So, what's up, Roy?"

"Dude, during living environment I met this really hot girl and guess what."

"What?"

"She has a friend," Roy said happily. "So come on, I promised to meet her during lunch and that I'd bring a friend."

"Say what," Dick shook his head. "Sorry but I'm not interested."

Roy gave a frustrated sigh and rubbed his temples. "I can't bring Wally and Alain already said no. Come on, Dick, I need you to come with me."

"Can't you get Gar to do it instead?"

"No. It has to be you."

"Why me?"

Roy began to laugh and Dick rose a brow. Just what exactly was so funny?

"You're kidding right," Roy asked in between laughs. Dick crossed his arms. "Oh, you're not kidding. You really have no clue do you?"

"Clue about what?" Dick asked, beginning to get annoyed.

"Dude, take a look around," Roy said and Dick did as he was told. "What do you notice?"

"Um...," Dick sighed. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to be seeing. That's when he noticed a group of girls at a table. They were looking at him and giggling. "I don't understand. What's--"

"The ladies are interested in you Dick. Haven't you noticed the stares?"

Dick thought about what Roy just said. During class he had noticed a numerous amount of girls looking at him. He hadn't thought much about it but now...

"So you're saying that all these girls like me?" Dick asked.

Roy nodded. "And if you play your cards right you may just get a few numbers."

"I don't know about this..." Dick said hesitantly, looking back over at Kori.

"Dammit, Dick. You're the ward to Bruce Wayne. It's about time you took advantage of that. Now come on, we have a meeting with a couple of hot girls."

---

After a long day the students of Jump City High School were all relieved that the last period of school finally came. Kori would have been happy but the fact that Dick ditched lunch to go off with Roy was still bothering her. And what bothered her more was the fact that it bothered her. Dick was a free person, he could hang out with whoever he wanted. But when lunch ended and English class began with Mr. Warp, Kori saw Dick purposely sit next to some girl. For some reason that sparked something inside her, she just wasn't sure what.

"What's our next class?" Karen asked as they all continued their walk down the hall.

"Life."

"Life," Gar repeated. "What kind of class is that?"

"It's supposed to help us think about the future and our choices," Raven sighed. "I am so not looking forward to this."

"You never look forward to anything." Gar said with a small grin.

"I look forward to slapping you."

Gar gulped.

Once they entered the room they all took seats. Roy, Alain and Wally walked into the room and took seats opposite of them. A little after they arrived, Jenn and Jade walked in.

"Oh come on!" Wally cried. So far this girl Jenn was in each of his classes.

"Great, yet another class with the red-headed fool." Jenn said while glaring at Wally.

"She doesn't mean that." Jade said with a nervous chuckle while she pulled Jenn to the opposite side of the room.

"Yes I do!"

Jenn sat down in the middle of Jade and Raven, still glaring at Wally who was across from her.

"Is there a reason why you dislike Wally?" Raven asked, turning her head to the side to look at Jenn.

"You mean besides the fact that he's a rude idiot?" Jenn asked.

Raven couldn't help but chuckle at Jenn's comment.

The door opened and a woman who looked to be in her early thirties walked in. She walked up to the front of the room and clapped her hands. "Can I have everyone's attention please."

The class fell silent.

"Thank you. Okay, first thing's first, I'm Mrs. Donavin. I'll be your teacher for life class."

Vic raised his hand.

"Yes?"

"Just what is this class about anyways?" Vic asked.

"That is a good question. This class is used to help develop the student mind. In this class we'll talk about real issues and problems as well as concerns for the future," said Mrs. Donavin. "Now, our first order of business will be about some of the things teenagers like yourself get addicted to."

Mrs. Donavin picked up a stack of pamphlets and began to pass them out to the students.

---

Life class came to an end and the students were finally dismissed. Dick exited the class and Kori quickly followed him, wondering why he was in such a rush.

"Dick, wait up," Kori called out as she caught up to him. "Where are you going? I thought we were gonna walk home together."

"Oh... well, it's just that Roy and I planned to go do something after school." Dick said while rubbing the back of his neck.

"Oh...," Kori said quietly, her mood plummeting to the ground. She put on a fake smile. "Well you two have fun. I'll call you later."

Dick gave a short nod and sighed in relief. He kissed Kori's cheek and said a quick good bye. He walked down the hall and joined Roy who was standing besides two girls.

Kori frowned and turned her head away. "Some first day this turned out to be."

---------------------------------

**AND THAT'S HOW DICK BECAME A PLAYBOY...**

**SPECIAL THANKS TOO BerryDrops, Royalfire14, FairieAndelx3o, SaoirseWaveglow, dolphinluver21, xryosakufujix, ..., imcalledkitty, Koriand'r Grayson, jerseygrl90, chaylorfan, Ace.04, RoseXxxXThorn, Karol!na07, RavenSis, punkgirlblood, cookiesruletheworld, TerraBB4Eva, toonfan820, titangirl797, Starsoffire, sweetnsxy AND pokemon-avatar FOR THE WONDERFUL REVIEWS. YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME!**

**I HOPED EVERYONE LIKED THIS CHAPTER.**

**OKAY, NOTE, A LOT OF YOU HAVE BEEN ASKING ME HOW MANY CHAPTERS THIS STORY IS GONNA BE. I'M NOT SO SURE MYSELF TO BE HONEST. ALL I CAN SAY IS THAT IT WILL BE SHORTER THAN SICK CYCLE CAROUSEL.**

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	3. Chapter 3

It was a start of a new day and the creeping light from the sun's rays brightened up Raven's dark room. Raven groaned in annoyance and placed a pillow over her head, she wasn't exactly a morning person.

A knock was heard at her door. "Raven! Raven, it's time to get up. You don't want to be late for school."

Raven sighed. Why did her mom insist on her going to school early? Raven wouldn't mind at all if she was late and missed first period. After a couple of weeks with Mr. Immortus she was already sick of school. With a groan Raven forced herself out of bed and got ready for school. A little while later she walked downstairs and went to the kitchen to find both her parents there in a disturbing position. They were kissing. Raven was use to her parents being all lovey-dovey around each other but still, watching her parents kiss was just...

"Ew."

Upon hearing there daughter speak Raven's parents pulled away from each other. There was a long pause with nobody saying anything. Raven looked away from her parents and walked out the door. Once she was outside she sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Parents."

---

It was the month of October and Jump City High School seemed to be in a brighter mood because of this. A large portion of the students were happy because today was tryouts for sport teams and the cheerleading team. Vic, Gar and Dick were all excited to try out for the football team but Karen, Raven and Kori could care less as they had a little girl talk before class began.

"You should have seem them smooching on each other," Raven said with distaste in her tone as she recalled the memory of her parents this morning. "Ugh, it looked like their lips were stuck together."

"At least you don't have to stay around my parents 24-seven," said Karen. "They act like teenagers. What about your parents, Kori?"

No response.

"Kori...," Karen called again. "Kori!"

"Huh?" Kori's head snapped up in attention.

"You okay, Kori," Raven asked. "You've been off lately."

"Well... um...," Kori sighed. "It's Dick."

"What about him?"

"Haven't you guys noticed the change in him lately? He's acting like a... like a--"

"Playboy."

Kori hung her head low and nodded. During the last couple of weeks Kori couldn't help but notice a drastic change in Dick. Sure, he was still the good guy and her best friend but he was a lot more flirtatious when it came to girls, something he never was before. Dick was always attractive and popular but he never once acted like a playboy. Now he was with a new girl almost every week. And as much as Kori hated to admit it, she was beginning to get frustrated.

"Maybe we should do something," Kori suggested. "You know, to break him away from his playboy ways."

"I can care less about Dick's romantic life." Raven said dryly.

"Yeah, I don't want to get involved," said Karen and she grinned at Kori. "You know, it's funny that you are the one bringing this up, Kori. You're not jealous are you?"

Kori's cheeks turned red. "No! He's my best friend, I'm just worried is all."

But deep down inside Kori knew she was jealous, she just didn't want to admit it because if she did that then...

"Hey girls!"

Kori, Karen and Raven stopped upon hearing Gar's voice. They turned around and saw Vic, Dick and Gar. Vic and Karen kissed each other as greeting and Gar went to Raven's side to tell her a new joke he learned.

Kori sighed.

"Something wrong?"

Kori turned her head towards Dick. "No, nothing is wrong." she said, using a fake cheerful voice. Lucky for her Dick fell for it.

He smiled and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Okay, football tryouts are after school today and I was hoping that maybe you could come cheer me on."

"I don't know, I'll have to check my schedule." Kori teased.

Dick put a hand to his chest. "I'm hurt."

Kori giggled. "Okay, okay, I'll go... I mean, if it means that much to you."

The two began a playful argument while the others followed behind.

Vic smirked. "They _so _like each other."

---

The whole class was quiet as Mr. Immortus wrote down notes on the board. No one dared to be disrespectful during Mr. Immortus history class. All but one student that is. So far, Kori only recognized this disrespectful student as Red. She never learned his first name due to the fact that she only had him in one class, history class with Mr. Immortus, and Mr. Immortus called everyone by their last name.

It was the middle of class when the assistant principle walked into Kori's history class. The assistant principle was a tall man dressed in a white suit and his name was Mr. Wintergreen.

"Pardon the intrusion but I have a new schedule here for a Mr. Red," said Mr. Wintergreen in a soft yet sharp voice. "He now has global history with Mrs. Cartney."

Mr. Immortus looked thankful but one couldn't tell due to his quick action to make a stern face when he looked over at his one disrespectful student. "Good, you're Mrs. Cartney's problem now. Gather your things and leave."

He did as he was told and when he passed by Mr. Immortus he smirked. "Don't miss me too much now."

Once the door closed Mr. Immortus turned back to his class. "Back to work!" he ordered.

Kori quickly did as she was told, forgetting all about the student with the last name Red.

---

After school finally came and the tryouts for the football, track and cheerleading team were being held on the outside field. Those who were trying out for teams were lined up on the field and those who were merely there to watch sat on the bleachers. Karen, Raven and Kori sat down on the bleachers and had a perfect view of the field.

"I don't see why I had to come." Raven said dryly, crossing her arms.

"Because I'm here to cheer for Vic and Kori is here to cheer for Dick," said Karen. "It wouldn't be fair if Gar didn't have his own personal cheerleader."

"I'm not a cheerleader," Raven said darkly. "Nor do I want to be one. If I did then I would be down there with Jenn and Jade."

"Who says you have to be a cheerleader to cheer," said Kori happily, giving Raven a nudge. "Go on, try it."

Raven rolled her eyes. "Woo..."

"Come on now, I think you can do better than that."

Kori and Raven quickly turned there heads towards the voice to see Alain standing there. Kori and Raven immediately had hearts in their eyes.

"Hey, Alain," greeted Karen, seeing as Kori and Raven were to speechless to do so. "What are you doing here?"

Alain sat down next to Karen. "I'm here to support Roy and Wally. Roy is trying out for football and Wally track."

"What about you?"

"I wanna try out for the swim team but that's still a long time from now."

"You swim?" Raven asked.

Alain nodded. "Yeah, I do."

"That is so cool." Kori said.

Karen giggled, she had no idea her two friends could be so boy crazy.

While the onlookers made themselves comfortable in the stands the contestants prepared themselves on the field. Jade was doing stretches when she spotted Wally. Despite the fact that her best friend practically hated Wally West, Jade saw him as a good guy. During class they got the chance to talk to each other for awhile and became good acquaintances. Jade decided to go talk to him.

"Hey, Wally." Jade greeted.

Wally turned his head and smiled. "Hey, Jade. How's it going?"

"I'm a bit nervous about trying out to be a cheerleader to be honest." Jade admitted.

"Don't worry about it, you'll do fine."

Jade giggled. "That's what Jenn said."

Wally frowned and grunted.

"You know, I bet if you two were to set aside your differences and talk things out--"

"Don't even try," Wally cut in quickly. "Me and her being friends ain't gonna happen."

While they were talking Roy saw them together and excused himself from the group of future-to-be-cheerleaders and walked up to them. Roy popped up behind Wally and slapped his back.

"Wally, how's it going buddy?"

Wally rolled his eyes, rubbing his shoulder.

Roy's eyes flicked towards Jade. "Who's your friend, Wally?"

"This is Jade. You know, from class."

"Oh yeah, I remember now," said Roy, smiling a charming smile as he extended his hand towards Jade. "We never really got a chance to talk."

"And we never will with that type of attitude." Jade said coldly.

Wally began to laugh and Roy was shocked. Had it been that obvious that he was flirting with her? Before he could respond Jenn came over to the group with a smile on her face but frowned when she saw Wally.

"What are you doing here?" Jenn asked Wally while glaring at him.

"I'm trying out for track," Wally answered, returning her glare with one of his own. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm trying out for the cheerleading team."

Wally blinked in surprise, losing his scowl. "Really?"

"Yes, really," Jenn said sharply. "Is that a problem?"

"No, it's just...," Wally chuckled. "I never thought you'd be into that type of stuff. It's kinda hard to imagine you in one of those short skirts.

Jenn glared at him, not liking what he just said. There was more to cheerleading than short skirts.

"Perverted jackass."

"Flat-chested bitch."

Jenn gasped and glared at him, her cheeks turning red.

Jade quickly intervened, knowing exactly where this was going. "Okay you two, that's enough. C'mon, Jenn, let's join the other girls who are trying out for cheerleading."

While Jade and Jenn walked away Roy found himself staring at Jade. There was something about her that Roy really wanted to get to know.

---

It was the next day and the students rushed up to the front gym doors where the tryout results were posted. After much pushing and shoving Jade and Jenn made it to the door to find both of their names on the cheerleading list.

"Yay! We made it!" Jade said happily, wrapping Jenn in a hug.

"Like, oh my gosh," Kitten yelled from the corner happily. "I'm a cheerleader! Mandy, Cindy, I'm a cheerleader!"

"So are we!"

The three girls squealed and hugged.

"Yeah...," Jenn rolled her eyes and hearing the news that Kitten and her friends made the team. "I think I might quit."

"Quitting already? You're full of surprises."

Jenn's eyebrow twitched in annoyance and she clenched her fist as she recognized the voice. "Wally... to what do I owe this displeasure?" she asked as she turned around to face him.

Wally smirked. "I just wanted to let you know I made the track team. Which means in a couple of months you'll be cheering for me."

"But in the mean time you can settle for me," Roy said coolly. "I made the football team."

"How very nice for you," Jade said sarcastically as she took Jenn's hand. "C'mon, let's go."

The boys stood in silence as they watched the girls walk away.

A goofy smile spread across Roy's face. "She so wants me."

Not that far away from where Roy and Wally were standing stood Vic and Dick.

"So...," Karen began. "How'd you guys do?"

Vic wore a broad smile on his face. "We made the team!"

Kori and Karen squealed and jumped on Vic, wrapping him in a hug.

Dick pouted. "What about me?"

Kori giggled and detached herself from Vic to wrap Dick in a hug. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Better?"

Dick grinned, a light shade of pink coming to his cheeks. "Very."

While Dick, Vic, Wally and Roy celebrated over the fact that they made the team, Gar couldn't be more depressed as he leaned against a wall with Raven by his side. He didn't make the football team and because of that he wasn't very happy.

"It's not fair," Gar whined as he kicked his legs out. "I'm just as good at football as Dick and Vic. I shoulda made the team!"

Raven released a sigh and turned her head to the side. Her eyes widened a bit when she saw Mr. Blood walk by.

"I'll be right back."

Before Gar could respond Raven stood up and walked away, heading towards Mr. Blood. They spoke quietly for a few minutes before Mr. Blood nodded his head and walked towards Gar. Raven turned her head away but watched the two from the corner of her eye. Mr. Blood and Gar exchanged some words before Mr. Blood walked away. Once he was gone Raven walked over to Gar.

"So... how'd it go?" she asked in her regular monotone voice, acting as if she wasn't interested when she was.

Gar smiled brightly. "I'm the team's mascot!"

----------------------------

**BIG THANKS TOO BerryDrops, Koriand'r Grayson, toonfan820, SoEffinBored, Lil-Mz.Sunshine, Ace.04, xryosakufujix, Royalfire14, TerraBB4Eva, imcalledkitty, Star 4 Robin, sweetnsxy, RoseXxxXThorn, Starsoffire, Karol!nna07, SaoirseWaveglow, punkgirlblood, Kory Anders Grayson AND 4ever Singing FOR THE WONDERFUL REVIEWS. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH.**

**OKAY, GOOD NEWS AND BAD NEWS. BUT FIRST OFF, SORRY THIS CHAPTER TOOK SO LONG, PLEASE FORGIVE ME.**

**OKAY, GOOD NEWS - I'VE STARTED WRITING THE SEQUEL TO SICK CYCLE CAROUSEL. BAD NEWS - I DECIDED NOT TO POST ANYTHING UNTIL I'VE FINISHED UP WITH THIS STORY, ****Girl All The Bad Guys Want**

**I HOPED EVERYONE LIKED THIS CHAPTER.**

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	4. Chapter 4

The month of October began to dwindle down as the days passed by. The leaves had already changed color and were spread across the ground to be picked up by the breeze. Kitten rested her head in the palms of her hands and sighed blissfully, her smile growing wider. Her cheeks turned red as the boy she was staring at caught her eye. Her breath caught in her throat wondering what she should do or what he would do. The boy turned his head away and began to talk animatedly with his friends.

Kitten sighed and looked away as well. She had been watching the boy from quite some time and at certain times he caught her looking at him but he had yet to acknowledge it, or acknowledge her for that matter.

"Yoo-hoo! Is anyone in there?" Cindy asked while waving a hand in Kitten's face.

Kitten growled in frustration and pushed Cindy's hand away. She looked back at the boy and noticed he was gone. She sighed defeated.

"What's wrong, Kitten," Mandy asked."You look as if you've just been dumped. Did Dick blow you off again?"

"No!... Well... yeah, but I'm not mopey because of him," Kitten admitted. "It's this boy--"

"Oh! What's his name?" Cindy asked excitedly.

"Uh... um...," Kitten bowed her head. "It's Fang."

"Fang," Mandy repeated, narrowing her eyes. "You mean Fang as in Fang Peterson? The same boy who would put spiders in our lunches whenever he got the chance in middle-school? That Fang?"

Kitten nodded.

"Are you insane?!" Mandy yelled.

"Yeah," said Cindy. "And what about Dick?"

"I still like Dick," Kitten said quickly. "But Fang... he's just so... hunky."

"I can't believe I'm hearing this," Mandy muttered while shaking her head. "Please tell me this is a joke."

"Aren't you two supposed to be my friends and support me?" Kitten asked while glaring at them.

"Yeah but..." Cindy paused, trying to find the right words.

"But what?"

"I thought you didn't like him."

"I didn't. Last year," Kitten said, a smile tugging at her lips. "This year he's just so different. So mysterious..."

"Mysteriously crazy," Mandy blurted out. "The guy roles in gangs. He's bad news not to mention social suicide."

"Like, Mandy, get a clue," Kitten said while rolling her eyes. "If anything Fang would make me go up the social scale. Can't you imagine, me; daddy's princess and him; the bad boy. They'll write songs about us."

Cindy put a finger to her chin in deep thought, taking Kitten seriously. "I think they already have..."

Kitten stood up and grabbed her purse. "Listen, I want Fang and I always get what I want."

With that said Kitten turned her heel and walked away from the lunch room. Kitten rested the strap to her purse on her shoulder and walked the empty halls of Jump City High School. By now most students were either at gym, lunch or locked away in their classrooms so the halls were quiet.

But today they weren't. Kitten could have sworn she heard something behind her. She ignored it and kept on walking.

Someone grabbed her from behind. She opened her mouth to scream but the person quickly covered her mouth with their hand. Before she knew it she was being pushed against the wall. Kitten opened her eyes to see a pair or red eyes looking back at her.

"Do you promise not to scream?"

Kitten nodded and the person who was holding her removed their hand from her mouth.

"Fang?! What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Fang rolled his eyes and clamped his hand over her mouth. "Man you're annoying. I thought you promised to keep shut. Now do as I say and be quiet."

He removed his hand and this time Kitten stood silent. She did, however, glared daggers at him.

"Alright babe, I'm gonna make this as simple as possible for you to comprehend," Fang said coldly. "I'm gonna ask you a question and you're gonna answer me trufully. Got it?"

Kitten nodded dumbly, actually getting a turn on by hiss rude and demanding behavior.

"Okay, I've caught you on more than one occasion looking at me. Why?"

Kitten felt her mouth go dry at the question and didn't answer him. She could feel the heat rise to her cheeks and wondered just how red her face was. If only if she could get to a mirror...

"Hey, what's going on," Fang asked, annoyed by her silence. "I thought you understood the procedure. I ask and you answer."

"I do... I just... You see--"

"Spit it out."

"I was looking at you because I like you!"

Fang backed away from Kitten as if she was fire, suddenly losing the cold hard attitude. "W-what...?"

"You heard me," Kitten said sharply as she smoothed out the wrinkles on her shirt. "Now I have a question for you. Why did you grab me and pull me in here?"

"I thought you might be working for someone."

"Who?"

"Listen... I have a lot of enemies," Fang said quietly. "I'd be best if you'd just forgot about me and this whole thing."

"Don't I even get a response?"

"Response for what?" Fang asked while raising an eyebrow.

"Do you... like.. me?"

Fang stood silent and grinned once the bell rang. "You're not that bad."

With that said he left the room.

---

"So he said he liked you?" Mandy asked while raising a brow. She brought the straw to her soda to her lips while awaiting Kitten's answer and took a sip.

"He didn't say that exactly...," Kitten trailed off. "He said that I wasn't that bad."

"Wow," Mandy said sarcastically. "He's so deep."

"Okay, I get the face that it isn't a _'I like you' _or a _'I love you' _but it's a start," Kitten proclaimed. "Which is why we're at the mall."

Mandy rose a brow. Kitten had brought them to the mall because of the start of her so called relationship starter with Fang? It didn't make sense. Seeing as Mandy was clearly lost Kitten took this time to explain.

"I want Fang to be my boyfriend so I have to win him over. I've found out that he usually goes to this club called Linger," Kitten explained. "Which is why we brought new clothes. I need to look dazzling if I'm to attract his attention."

"I don't know, Kitten..." Mandy trailed off with concern eating away at her. This didn't seem like a wise idea.

"Don't worry, Mandy," Kitten said with a wave of her hand. "I've got it all planned out."

"What about our parents?"

"Easy, we tell them we're at Cindy's house. Since Cindy is grounded it'll be the perfect cover up."

"Well... it would give me a good excuse to wear my new top," Mandy said with a small grin. "Okay, I'm in."

---

The car came to a stop and Kitten and Mandy stepped out. They had taken a cab to get to Linger and as soon as they stepped out Kitten felt drawn to the club before her. The blinding lights, the crowd of people and pounding music, she felt like she fit in just fine. That was the feeling she got before she stepped on line. Not only did she and Mandy wait about twenty minutes in the chilly cold but as soon as they got to the front the man at the door wouldn't let them in.

"What do you mean we can't get it?!" Kitten shouted as she glared at the man, gritting her teeth and clenching her fist.

"Exactly how it sounds blondie," the man said dryly. "Either you're on the list or have some id."

"But we already showed you our ids." Mandy said exasperated as she rubbed her arms, trying to generate some heat for her body. Wearing a spaghetti strapped top wasn't the best choice for her on a night like this.

"And I'll already told you two that these things are fake," the man said as he shoved the ids back in there hands. He pointed at Kitten. "You're not Chinese." he then pointed at Mandy. "And you're not fat."

"I went on a diet."

"Nice try ladies. Now beat it!"

"Listen," Kitten said sweetly, placing a hand on the man's bicep. "What would I have to in order to get in."

The man laughed and Kitten blinked. She thought flirting was the perfect way to get what you wanted, it always worked in the movies. The man took her wrist and pulled her hands off of him.

"Lady, you are so barking up the wrong tree," he said smirking gleefully. "Security!"

Two men stepped out and took Kitten and Mandy by the shoulders, leading them away from the club despite their kicks and screams. Once they were far away from the door the men turned and left.

Mandy flicked her blonde hair over her shoulder, rolling her green eyes. "Well... that was a terrible waist of time," she looked at Kitten. "Ready to go?"

"No! I am not giving up so easily," Kitten said angrily, stomping her foot. She put a finger to her chin and looked around. "There has to be a way in..."

Something caught her eye. Two teenagers, about her age from what she could tell, were sneaking in through the back alley.

"And I think we just found ours. Come on." Kitten grabbed Mandy's hand and pulled her along to follow the two boys.

The two boy turned the corner and Kitten stopped, causing Mandy to stop as well. They peaked their heads out and saw the two boys along with one large adult. The two boys pulled out a couple of dollars, how much Kitten couldn't tell but it must have been enough because the man at the door let the two boys in through the back door. Kitten and Mandy pulled their heads back and leaned against the wall.

"Did you see that?"

"Ah-huh."

"Do you still want to go through with this?"

"Yeah," Kitten nodded. "Let's go."

They stood up straight and walked towards the man with confidence. They stopped in front of him and locked eyes. He was a strong, stern looking man with bulging muscles. Kitten smirked at him and went through her purse, pulling out two twenty dollar bills.

"Is this enough?" she asked. The man said nothing and snatched the money from her hands. He took a moment to study it before smirking and opening up the door for them.

"Plenty."

Kitten squealed and practically jumped inside, Mandy following her with caution and little enthusiasm. They stepped inside and their mouth's were agape with disbelief. Linger was far more devilish then they imagined it to be. People their own age, perhaps older, were there doing as they pleased. Drinking, smoking, doing drugs and a lot more. It was like the most evil side of high school had doubled within this little club.

Very silently Mandy began to pray.

"Oh my gosh... if my father ever found out I was in a place like this..." Mandy began to whimper.

"Calm down, Mandy," Kitten snapped, her eyes scanning over the crowd. "Our parents won't out." Kitten sighed. "You don't happen to see Fang around do you?"

"I do but... you are not going to like this..."

"What? Where is he? Show me."

Mandy pointed towards a lounge area with red sofas. Kitten gasped at what she saw. Fang was there, but he wasn't alone. A girl was on his lap giggling madly as he whispered something in her ear. Kitten clenched her fist and looked down.

"Let's go, Kitten," Mandy said, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder and glaring towards the area where Fang sat. "He isn't even worth it."

"Mandy, let go of me."

"What?"

Kitten shook Mandy's hand off her shoulder and looked up, her eyes narrowed with a evil glow in her eyes that looked like fire. She marched over to where Fang and this girl were passionately kissing. Kitten coughed but that didn't stop the couple on the sofa before her so she tapped the girl's shoulder.

"Excuse me."

The girl pulled away and glared at Kitten for ruining her fun.

Fang's eyes went wide in surprise. "Kitten? What are you doing here?"

Kitten ignored him and crossed her arms. "I don't mean to be rude but do you mind if I ask you a question?" Kitten asked the girl.

The girl flicked her black hair. "Shot."

"Are you in high school?"

The girl laughed. "Are you joking? I'm in collage."

"Collage huh," Kitten said and the girl nodded. Kitten smirked. "So do most collage girls go for freshman boys in high school?"

The girl gasped and looked over at Fang. "You're in high school?"

Fang chuckled nervously. "Surprise."

The girl slapped him hard against the cheek and grabbed her purse, stomping off. Fang placed a hand against his burning cheek and looked up at Kitten.

"What the hell was that for?!"

"For being a man whore!"

Fang glared at her and stood up, grabbing her by her arm.

"Hey! Let go of me!"

Fang ignored her and dragged her towards the back door where she had come in. Along the way he snatched up Mandy as well. He dragged them both outside despite them both yelling at him.

"Frank, watch this one." Fang said, pushing Mandy towards the man who let them in. Fang dragged Kitten to the corner and pushed her against the wall so they were both out of sight from Mandy and the man known as Frank.

"You asshole! You can't just leave Mandy alone with that guy!" Kitten shouted, pushing Fang.

"Your friend will be fine. Frank is a friend of mine. Now, what the hell was all that back in the club?"

"Why don't you tell me," Kitten snapped, glaring at him. "That girl was hanging all over you."

"So?"

"So? So what about me?!"

"What about you?!"

Kitten huffed and put her hands on her hips. "I can't believe I ever liked you! You're such an ass!"

"And you're a bitch!"

"I hate you!"

"I hate you even more!"

The two of them stood silent, breathing deeply and glaring at each other. Then, without even thinking, they began to kiss each other. Fang wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer and Kitten began to run her fingers through his hair. The need for air became overwhelming and they pulled away.

"What the hell was that?" Kitten asked while trying to catch her breath.

"I don't know," Fang said. He grinned. "But I liked it."

Kitten smiled. "It was nice wasn't it."

"Wanna discuss details later?"

"Ah-huh."

"Good." Fang said in a husky voice before attacking her lips with his own once more.

------------------------

**AND THAT'S HOW KITTEN AND FANG BECAME A COUPLE.**

**SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE BUT I THINK I HAVE SOMETHING THAT WILL MAKE YOU ALL HAPPY.**

**PREVIEW TO THE SEQUEL OF SICK CYCLE CAROUSEL - Hanging By A Moment: Chapter 1.**

Wally shrugged as he opened the front door to his house for her. "Would you believe me if I said it was a wardrobe malfunction?"

-

"After all the drama that happened last year," said Kori. "Not a chance." She took Dick's hand in her own and smiled affectionally at him. "But at least this time we're together."

-

Roy shook his head. "It's probably all in my imagination," he told himself. "She's probably just irritated that school is starting again." Roy nodded his head, positive that was the answer.

-

"Dorky is more I like it." Toni muttered to Alain who nodded in agreement.

-

"Well that was a complete waste of time," droned Raven as she began to walk away. "I'm going to class."

-

"Alright," Jenn began, turning serious. "Do you mind telling me what's wrong?"

**I HOPED EVERYONE ENJOYED THE PREVIEW AND THIS CHAPTER.**

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	5. Chapter 5

Jade sighed for the umpteenth time today. It was a beautiful day in November yet the young cheerleader was anything but happy. Frustrated, exhausted, annoyed... these were words that fitted Jade's mood at the moment. Her negative attitude was brought on by the school's top playboy.

Roy.

Ever since the tryouts for sport and cheerleading teams Roy found it hard to stay away from Jade. Whenever he got the chance he would flirt with her and ask her out on a date. Each time Jade said no but the carrot-top teen would return the next day with a smile on his face and one question for her. Roy wasn't a quitter, that was for sure. The rejection he faced only made him want Jade more.

But his affection for Jade didn't bring down his status as a playboy. If anything it made it go up. Each rejection Roy landed from Jade also landed him a date. There was a pattern that had unknownly formed for Roy; he would ask Jade on a date, she would reject him, and then he would ask any random girl that would say yes.

It was a continuous pattern that would be broken today.

---

The day was slowly passing by and a majority of the freshman class were in the gym. The students were fortunate today for Mr. Blood wasn't feeling up to speed. He was coming down with a bit of a cold and so he gave the students free time while he retreated to his office.

The students took full advantage of their free time and did as they pleased. The girls occupied the bleachers as they sat with their friends while the boys took the floor to play some basketball.

With Mr. Blood safely locked away in his office the boys went all out in their basketball game. They stripped down to their gym shorts and about half of the boys left their shirts on the bench, exposing their toned chest.

The gym became ogle central as the girls watched the boys play. Raven had her eyes on Alain, Kori (who tried her best not to look) couldn't tear her eyes away from Dick, and Karen only had eyes for Vic. Jenn only had eyes for her sketch book and Jade was about ready to close her eyes in boredom.

"Vic, quit hogging the ball!" Gar yelled at his teammate.

"Listen salad head," Vic said as he poked Gar in the chest. "It's enough that you're the shortest on this team but you can barely play basketball. So therefore, I get to hog the ball for the skills you lack."

"Come on guys," Wally complained. "Would you guys just play already."

"Alright, that's it," Dick said as he took control over the situation. "Me, Vic and Gar need a time out to discuss some things." Dick said as he glared at his two teammates.

Every time there was a game of basketball Vic and Gar would pick at each other until Dick intervened.

"Take all the time you need," Alain said as he walked over to the bench. "I needed a water break anyway."

Seeing as the game had officially came to a halt Roy took his time to momentarily look around. He smirked as he spotted Jade sitting on the bleachers. He held the basketball in his hands and coolly walked over to her and Jenn.

As soon as Jade saw Roy coming over she groaned. "Oh no..."

Roy took the empty spot besides Jade and smiled at her. "Hey, Jade. Nice day isn't it?"

"It was until you showed up," Jade said dryly. "Please don't tell me you came over here to hit on me. Again."

"Fine, I won't tell you," Roy said. "I'll get straight to the part where I ask you out."

"Let's skip it and go to the part where I say no," Jade said with a small smirk on her lips. "No. There, now you have your answer so you can go."

"Aw, c'mon, Jade," Roy whined. "You always say no to me."

"Because I don't like you."

"You haven't even gotten to know me yet," Roy wiggled his eyebrows. "You could if you let me take you on a date."

Jade stayed silent.

"Okay, tell you what," Roy said standing up. "Let's make a deal."

This caught Jade's attention and she rose a brow at him. "What kind of deal?"

"If I can score one basket with my back turned you let me take you on a date," Roy said. "But if I lose I'll never ask you out on a date for the rest of the month."

"Make it for the rest of the year and you got yourself a deal carrot-top." Jade said smugly.

Roy winced and reluctantly nodded his head. "Fine, if I lose I won't ask you out for the rest of the year."

"Sounds like a plan." Jade said coolly and Roy nodded at her before walking out in the middle of the court.

"Jade," whispered Jenn. "Are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, Roy is kind of good at basketball."

"And how would you know," Jade asked suggestively as she looked at Jenn. "Were you watching him play or was it the other red-head on the court that you had your eyes glued on."

"What? No," Jenn shook her head. "No. I rather poke my eyes out than ogle over Wally."

Jade laughed. "He's not that bad you know."

"Whatever, this isn't about me boy troubles. This is about your boy troubles."

Jade shrugged indifferently. "I really don't see the problem. There's no way he can make that shoot. All the other boys have tried and failed."

With that said Jade turned her eyes towards the middle of the court where Roy stood solely with a look of concentration on his face. He was bouncing the ball up and down and when he felt ready he stood still and swung the ball back so it headed for the hoop behind him.

The gym fell into silence as the ball touched the rim of the basketball hoop. Roy quickly turned around, his fingers crossed and a hopeful look on his face, as he wished for the ball to fall through the hoop.

His wish was granted and the ball fell through the hoop. Both Jade and Roy were is a state of shock but Roy got over his first. He jumped in the air, tapped his feet in the air, and cheered. His friends cheered for him but Roy ignored them all as he ran over to the still shocked Jade.

He smiled cheekily at her. "I'll pick you up at seven tonight. Where something nice," he leaned in closed and whispered in her ear. "A nice _short _dress would be preferred."

Before pulling away he pecked her on the cheek and smirked at her, his eyes twinkling with merriment. Then he quickly ran away to go join his friends.

Jade finally gained her mind back and realizing what just happened she glared at Roy's retreating form. "You son of a bitch come back here so I can kick your ass!"

Roy turned around and blew her a kiss but made no move to get near the infuriated girl. Jade stood up and was about to go to him but Jenn quickly held her back.

"Easy there, Jade," said Jenn. "Calm down."

"Calm down? Calm down?! I have a date with that... that thing!"

"You have a date with Roy?"

Jade and Jenn turned their heads to see Karen, Kori and Raven.

"Wow," Karen grinned and crossed her arms. "And here I thought you disliked Roy."

"I do," Jade said as she crossed her arms and scowled. "He tricked me into going on a date with him. He must have practiced that shot. That cheater!"

"Well like it or not you have a date with that cheater." Raven said dryly.

Jade grumbled bitterly.

"Look on the positive side of things," Kori said brightly. "This gives you an excuse to go shopping for a new dress."

Jade smiled. "That _is _a positive."

---

Jade frowned as she looked at her alarm clock. It was six o'clock, and in exactly one hour she would be on a date with Roy Harper. Jade felt like throwing a tantrum at the thought of being on a date with him. She had to admit, Roy was a good looking guy but in the personality department he was lacking. His playboy ways were a turn off. But, none the less she had a date with him.

Jade looked over her outfit sprawled across her bed. Against her better judgement she got a dress like Roy had asked her to. But, on a bright side the dress wasn't all that short the way he asked. The dress was form fitting and ended just above her knees. It was a red 'v' neck dress with thick straps. Jade kept things simple and put on her strappy silver heels to match her silver flower necklace, bracelet and earrings. It didn't take her very long to do her hair either, she pulled her hair into a tight bun with her bangs pushed to one side and a few strands of curled hair framed her face. Before she knew it she was ready and it was seven o'clock.

Jade could hear her door bell ringing and she grabbed her silver purse and slowly walked downstairs, taking her time. She wasn't in a rush for two reasons. One: she knew it was Roy outside her door and two: it's always good to keep them waiting.

Jade waited about ten more minutes before finally opening the door. When she did she couldn't help but notice how charming Roy looked in his black suit and white collar shirt. He was handsome, and Jade hated to admit that.

"Wow...," Roy trailed off as he looked Jade up and down. "You look... incredible." Roy wanted to say more, a lot more, about her appearance but he didn't want to over do it. He extended his hand. "Shall we?"

Before Roy could even blink Jade punched him in the stomach. Roy doubled over in pain as he felt the wind get knocked out of him. He stumbled a bit but thankfully he didn't fall over. He looked up at Jade with surprised eyes. He had no idea she was that strong.

"What was that for?" he asked as he clutched his stomach.

"For kissing me on the cheek without my consent," Jade replied absently. "Nice limo. Well..." Jade clapped her hands together and looked at the bent over Roy who was still trying to catch his breath and smiled sweetly at him. "Let's get this date started shall we."

"What's with the sudden rush?" Roy asked with a small smirk as he followed her to the limo he got for this occasion to impress her.

"The sooner this date gets started the sooner it'll be over and done with." Jade replied before she opened the door for herself and got in.

---

The ride in the limo was a quiet one as Jade kept her eyes focused on the scenery outside her side of the limo window. Roy had made several attempts to make conversation with Jade but all she would do was give him a scathing look and turn her head away. After a last attempt Roy had given up with a sigh.

His mood immediately picked up when they finally arrived at their destination. A fancy restaurant known as The Ivy was the perfect place to take Jade for their date in Roy's opinion. Ollie had told him all about this place and so Roy decided to try his luck.

Roy looked over at Jade and saw the look of awe on her face. He gave her his elbow. "Ready?"

She ignored him and followed the host. Roy sighed and rubbed his temples. Just what did he have to do to get this girl to like him? They were seated at their table and left in silence.

Jade opened up her menu and began to examine the list with her eyes. "This is a nice place," she said absently. "Do you take all your dates here?"

Roy frowned. "Actually I just take them to get a slice of pizza."

"Interesting..."

Roy rose a brow. "How so?"

Jade closed her menu and placed it on the side. She folded her fingers and looked at Roy. "You say you take your regular dates out for pizza yet here you are taking me to some fancy restaurant with a limo waiting outside. So, you must really like me or you really wanna get laid."

Roy's mouth was agape.

It was at that moment the waitress showed up. She smiled at the couple. "So, what will you two be having?"

"I'd like a lasagna please." Jade said.

Roy cleared his throat. "Chicken."

Once the waitress was gone Jade smiled innocently at Roy. "So, Roy, judging by your reaction before I'd say you're easy to embarrass."

"You are one wicked girl you know that?"

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"Why is it so hard for you to like me? Or for you to believe that I like you?"

"Because you're a filthy playboy," Jade exclaimed. "All you ever do is flirt with girls. You take them on dates and dump them the next day. And if you think I'm gonna fall for your charms you have another thing coming."

"Okay, I'll give that," Roy said. "I like to flirt and date around but I'm actually making and effort with you."

"Oh please. I bet you say that to all the girls."

"No I don't," Roy exclaimed. "The other girls are bitches trying to get inside my wallet cause they know I'm the ward to Oliver Queen. You're one of the few girls that I've met that actually seems real."

Jade was stunned into silence. Roy Harper, top freshman playboy, actually had genuine feelings. What a shocker.

---

The time was just rolling by as Roy chatted with Jade. Their food almost got cold due to the conversation they were sharing. The more and more they talked the more they began to like each other. They saw past the differences they felt before and were comfortable with each other now. It was at that time they received their dessert. Roy had gotten a simple chocolate cake lathered with whip cream while Jade got a pumpkin pie.

Jade took one bite of her pie and squealed in delight. "This is so good!"

Roy chuckled. "See, aren't you glad now that you came on this date with me?"

"Oh, you mean the date you blackmailed me into." Jade joked.

"Blackmail is such a ugly and negative word," Roy said with a playful smile. "I prefer to say that I persuaded you by my good looks."

Jade laughed. "Whatever floats your boat," she took another bite of her pie and moaned. "This is so delicious."

"Really," Roy asked. "Let me get a taste."

Jade slapped his hand away from her pie. "Oh no, this is my pie. Stick with your cake."

"Oh come on."

"No," Jade shook her head. "All mine." she took another bite and smiled.

"So that's how you're gonna play, huh?" Roy smirked at her and scooped up some whip cream with his finger.

Jade narrowed her eyes at him. "You wouldn't..."

"On the contrary, I would." Roy rubbed the whip cream over her cheek and nose.

Jade's mouth was agape. "I can't believe you just did that."

"Well," Roy began coolly. "That's what you get for not sharing--"

Before he could finish Jade smeared the chocolate frosting on his face. Roy blinked in surprise and Jade merely licked her fingers and looked back at him with a smug smile. It only took seconds before the two bursted into fits of laughter."

---

Roy had his hands in his pockets as he walked Jade to her front door. He felt nervous and so he kept his eyes on the ground. Roy cleared his throat and finally found his nerves to look up at her.

"Well," Jade began. "This had been... a surprising nice night."

"Well I'm glad you had a good time."

"Right," Jade looked away from Roy and towards her door. "I should get inside. My mom can be really strict sometimes."

"Yeah," Roy chuckled sheepishly. "Ollie can be the same way at times."

Even though they both declared their need to leave neither one of them moved an inch.

"Uh... Jade," Roy began to speak nervously. "Do you think maybe, if you're not busy... that we can do this again... some time." he finished off lamely with a hopeful look on his face as well as red cheeks.

Jade put a finger to her chin. "Hmm... I'll have to think about that."

Roy made a small noise of disbelief.

Jade laughed. "I was joking. Of course we can do this again some time."

It took every bone and muscle in Roy's body to make him not jump in the air and cheer. "Cool, so I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

"That's it?" Jade asked sounding surprised.

"Well, yeah. I mean--"

Jade silenced him by grabbing a fistful of his shirt and dragging him close to her so she could kiss him fully on the lips. Before he could respond she pushed him away.

Roy touched his lips in disbelief. "What was that for?"

"Consider it a thank you for the date." Jade blew him a kiss before disappearing behind her front door.

Roy smiled and turned around. As he was making his way to the limo her jumped in the air and tapped his feet together happily.

----------------------

**AND THAT'S HOW JADE AND ROY BEGAN THEIR RELATIONSHIP. I HOPED EVERYONE LIKED THIS CHAPTER.**

**SPECIAL THANKS TOO Lil-Mz.Sunshine, toonfan820, TerraBB4Eva, BerryDrops, Ace.04, SaoirseWaveglow, cookiesruletheworld, Nightwing's Gurl 2023, Sulan123, RavenSis, sweetnsxy AND KrisSK8Gurl FOR THE WONDERFUL REVIEWS!**

**I WISH I DO SOMETHING TO SHOW MY THANKS... HMM... HOW ABOUT A PREVIEW TO CHAPTER 2 OF Hanging By A Moment.**

**PREVIEW:**

"Do you really want me to go into details, Jenn?" Jade asked as she shifted in her spot, wishing she could just become invisible.

-

Raven flicked her eyes towards Kori with serious regard. "Wanna talk about it?"

-

"Because of what," Roy asked, stopping. "Wally, do you know something that I don't?"

-

"If you ask me there seems to be something there between Kori and Xavier."

-

"Jade," Roy began softly, cupping her chin and gently turning her face towards him. "You know you can tell me anything right?"

-

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	6. Chapter 6

Jenn's eyebrow twitched as she heard another giggle emitted from her friend.

Jade had been giggling a lot as of lately and Jenn knew the source of her happiness was all because of Roy. Ever since that one date Roy and Jade stuck together like glue. They were always seen hugging, kissing, holding hands and all the other things two people do when romantically involved. Roy and Jade had been going out for weeks now and were growing closer and closer with each day that passed.

Jenn looked down at her watch and saw that it was almost time for cheer practice as well as football practice. She looked over at Roy and Jade and couldn't help but be a little disturbed at the sight. Jade was against the locker with Roy in front of her. The two were kissing... again.

"Okay, cool your jets, Roy," Jenn exasperated as she grabbed Roy by the collar of his shirt and yanked him away from Jade. "We have practice in less than ten minutes. You two can finish the make out session later but right now we have to go."

"Gee, Jenn," Roy began in a playful manner. "I didn't know you were a party pooper."

Jade lightly hit Roy's arm. "Be nice, Roy. It's not Jenn's fault we have practice."

"I know...," Roy pretended to pout. "It's the coach's fault."

At this Jade began to laugh and Jenn sighed.

"Roy!"

Roy, Jade and Jenn stopped in their tracks and turned around at the sound of a familiar voice. Wally was dodging other students and running up to them with his incredible speed. Alain followed him from behind but instead of rushing he decided to walk. Jenn groaned at the sight of Wally.

"Hiya guys!" Wally chirped cheerfully, a smile glued to his face.

"Hey, Wally," greeted Roy. Alain finally joined the group. "Hey, Alain."

"So, Roy, you still up to playing video games at my house after school?" Wally asked.

"Aren't you a little bit to old to be playing video games?" Jenn scoffed at Wally.

"Aren't you a little bit to young to be sounding like my grandma?" Wally bit back.

"Aren't you two tired of arguing with each other?" Alain exasperated.

Jenn and Wally both looked at Alain and pointed fingers at each other.

"He started it!"

"She started it!"

Both responses were heard at the same time and the two teens glared at each other. Roy, Jade and Alain just sighed in annoyance. They could tell this was not going to end well.

"What do you mean I started it? You started it when you pushed me!"

"That was an accident. You started it when you cursed me out!"

"Enough," Jade shouted as she stood in the middle of Jenn and Wally. "All you guys do is argue. It's crazy."

"Maybe if you two spent less time yelling at each other you could find some common ground like Jade and I did." said Roy.

"Sorry but I can't get along with this...," Jenn struggled to find a word that would sum up Wally West in a nutshell. "This _thing_."

"Ditto," Wally said as he crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at Jenn. "This girl is a complete witch."

"But you guys have to get along," Jade insisted. "Jenn, you're my best friend and Wally is important to Roy. We can't have you two at each other's throats all the time."

"Jade is right," said Alain. "You guys need to get along."

"And I just know how," Roy said proudly. "Thanksgiving is coming up this week. We can all get together at my house. It'll give us a chance to get to know each other better and become friends."

Jenn glared at Roy and poked a finger at him. "That's the dumbest idea ever. Wally and I can hardly spend five minutes together. How do you expect us to survive an entire evening?"

"I think it's a great idea," announced Jade with a smile. She looked at Jenn with puppy dog eyes. "Please say yes, Jenn."

Jenn groaned and slapped her forehead. "Fine..."

The others looked at Wally expectantly.

Wally blinked at them. "What? Just because she's doing it doesn't mean I have to."

"Just do it, Wally." Alain exasperated.

"Why?"

Roy leaned closer to Wally so he could whisper something to him. "Because I'll give you ten bucks if you do."

"Okay, I'm in!" Wally announced cheerfully.

"Alright then," Roy smiled. "Thanksgiving day we'll all meet at my house at six."

---

Alain and Wally had arrived earlier than expected to Roy's house on Thanksgiving day. They came dressed the way Roy had asked them to do, abandoning their jeans for black dress pants and collar shirts.

"The girls here yet?" Alain asked once inside the living room.

"No," said Roy as he fixed his tie. "You know how long girls take to get dressed."

"I wouldn't talk if I was you," Alain said with a smirk. "Mr. It-takes-twenty-minutes-to-do-my-hair."

"Not true," Roy bite back. He lowered his voice and mumbled. "It takes seventeen minutes."

"So did Ollie hire a chief again this year?" Wally asked as he patted his stomach, already eager to eat.

"No," Roy answered. "His new girlfriend wanted to make dinner."

"Girlfriend? He got another one?"

"Yup."

"Roy." called a voice.

"Here she comes now," Roy told them. "In here!"

A beautiful woman with blue eyes stepped into the room. She had medium length blonde hair which was curled to perfection. She wore a royal blue silk gown that reached the floor with black heels. Both Wally's and Alain's jaws hit the floor. The woman smiled at them.

"You must be Roy's friends." she said sweetly.

"Yup. That one is Alain," Roy pointed at Alain who shyly waved. He then pointed at Wally. "And that there is Wally."

"Hi..." Wally greeted.

"Guys, this is Dinah. Ollie's girlfriend."

"It's nice to meet you two," Dinah said. She turned her attention towards Roy. "The table will be set in twenty minutes so that's just enough time for you to fix your hair."

Alain and Wally snickered.

"Thanks, Dinah." Roy said through clenched teeth.

"How about you three stand together so I can take a picture of you."

"Uh.. sure."

"Yeah, why now."

"Okay."

Dinah beamed and took the camera that was resting on the table and turned it on. Alain and Wally stood on either side of Roy and smiled. Dinah snapped the photo and she giggled.

"You guys are so cute. Just like the chipmunks."

With that said Dinah left the room to go and help Ollie set up the table.

"Chipmunks?"

"We _so _do not look like chipmunks."

"Actually we kinda do."

The boys looked at each other and at themselves. Alain was dressed in a blue shirt, Roy was dressed in a red shirt and Wally was dressed in a green shirt. Silence fell between them.

"You think I have time to go and change?"

Before Wally's question could be answered the doorbell rang. Roy quickly went to go and answer it. He opened the door and smiled coolly.

"Well hello," he smiled and took Jade's hand so he could brush a kiss over her knuckles. "How's it goin' beautiful?"

"Just fine handsome." Jade answered cheekily.

"Mmm... you look gorgeous." Roy said as he twirled Jade around so he could get a full view of her.

Jade had done nothing special with her hair and just left it down. It was Jade's dress that really made her stand out. She was wearing a dark green dress that reached her knees and it was strapless. That little factor made Roy appreciate the dress all the more. Jade also wore silver strappy heels.

Roy tore his gaze away from Jade and smiled at Jenn. "Hey, Jenn. You look great."

Jenn had a darker look to her wardrobe. She was dressed from head to toe in black. Her black dress had thick straps and showed little to none cleavage. It ended just above her knees and right below her knees were black boots that was laced up with a purple ribbon. Jenn also had on black, fingerless, gloves that reached her elbow. Like Jade, Jenn did nothing special to her hair and just kept it down.

"Thanks," Jenn answered dryly. Jade elbowed her in the ribs and Jenn took that as a sign to be nicer. "You don't look so bad yourself."

Roy, Jade and Jenn joined Wally and Alain in the living room. Alain greeted the girls kindly and Wally managed to say a hello to Jade. Jenn greeted Alain but refused to make eye contact with Wally. The two seemed to be avoiding each other and because of that it made things awkward with an uncomfortable silence to boot. Roy and Jade gave the two a little push towards each other and Alain coughed in a way that told them that one of them had to say something.

Wally rubbed the back of his neck and cleared his throat. "Um... nice dress."

Jenn saw Jade gesture with her hands to say something. Jenn sighed and finally made eye contact with Wally. "I like your tie."

"Thanks."

Had the two been alone one would have believed them to be on a first date due to their shyness towards each other.

Wally and Jenn's attitude towards each other spread like wildfire and eventually all five teens were sitting in an awkward silence in the living room. Time passed and Dinah announced that dinner was ready, much to everyone elses relief.

---

Dinah had been thrilled when Ollie had told her that Roy was inviting his friends over. She was very excited to meet those closest to Roy. Ollie and Dinah had only been an item for a few months now but she wanted to be both apart of Ollie and Roy's life. She was hoping that Thanksgiving would be her chance to do that but that had proved to be a false hope. The entire dinning table was surrounded by the clatter of silver wear. No one was talking and to Dinah it seemed as if a black cloud had fallen over them. So, she decided to spread a little light.

"So, Alain and Wally, how long have you two known Roy?" Dinah asked.

"Uh... since elementary school." Alain answered.

"The three of them would run around here like crazy," Ollie chipped in, desperate for conversation and not silence. "They broke so many things..."

Jade giggled and elbowed Roy, smiling at him. "Quite the troublemaker aren't you?"

Roy's cheeks flushed with color.

"Why don't you tell us about yourself, Jade." requested Ollie. Roy was like a son to Ollie so it came as no surprise that he wanted to learn some more about Jade. He wanted to make sure that Roy wasn't involved with the wrong crowd, and although Jade looked like an okay girl one could never judge a book by it's cover.

"Well, what would you like to know sir?" Jade asked timidly, suddenly wishing she would have kept her mouth shut instead of poking fun at Roy.

"Why don't you tell me about school. Do you have a favorite subject?"

"School is great. I think my favorite subject right now is science but I'm defiantly more favorable of my cheerleading."

"Oh, so you're a cheerleader?"

Jade nodded with enthusiasm. "Jenn and I are both cheerleaders."

"Really," Dinah expressed much interest in this subject. "I had no idea you two were the cheerleading types."

"I'm not really," Jenn cut in. "Jade sorta dragged me into it."

"So, Wally, I heard from your uncle that you're interested in track." Ollie said.

"Yup, as soon as football season is up it'll be my chance to shine." Wally said proudly.

"I'm sure your girlfriend will be there to cheer you on." Dinah said casually.

"Oh no," Wally shook his head. "I don't have a girlfriend."

"Really...," Dinah blinked in surprise. "I'm sorry, I thought by the way you and Jenn were acting towards each other that the two of you were in a relationship."

Dinah's innocent comment caused Jenn to freeze and Alain to almost choke on his drink. Both of these reactions were nothing compared to Wally's reaction. Wally was laughing.

"Jenn as my girlfriend," Wally chuckled once more. "Man that's funny. I mean, why would I want to date her."

"Oh no..." Alain mumbled under his breath. He could tell that no good could come from Wally's comment. Although Wally's comment was innocent with no harmful intentions Alain could tell by the look on Jenn's face that she viewed it as an insult.

Jenn crossed her arms and glared at Wally who was sitting across the table from her. "And just what is that supposed to mean."

Wally blinked in surprise and tore his attention away from his food. "Huh?"

"Am I not good enough to be your girlfriend, Wally?" Jenn asked venomously.

"No... I mean, you are kinda creepy--"

"So now am I not only not good enough but I'm also creepy."

"I don't see why you're making such a big deal about this."

"You're right. I shouldn't be making such a big deal because I shouldn't be surprised. You're a typical guy who likes girls with blonde hair, a lot of make-up, pink clothes and are dumb whores. Any girl with a mind and personality of her own is like fire to you. As a matter of fact, maybe you should date Kitten."

"Hey, I like girls with a mind of their own okay. I like different people that stand out. You're just mad because no one will ever like you because you're a total bitch."

"Would you both just stop it," Jade cried as she abruptly stood up and glared at the two. "All you guys do is fight. I'm tired of it. Well guess what, you guys won't have to fight any more because I'm done."

"Jade," Roy stood to his feet. "What are you saying?"

"What do you think, Roy," Jade said brokenly. "My best friend and your best friend hate each other. Do you really think we can last with something like that going on?"

Roy bit his lip and looked over his shoulder at Ollie. "Can you excuse Jade and I please?"

Ollie nodded his head abruptly. "Sure, go ahead. Take all the time you need."

Roy grabbed Jade's hand and quickly pulled Jade out of the room so they could have some privacy. There was no way in hell that Roy was going to give up Jade with out a fight. For once he felt like he was in a real relationship, he wasn't ready for it to end just yet. Once Roy and Jade left the room Alain flashed a pair of furious eyes towards Wally and Jenn. Wally couldn't remember a time when he'd seen Alain so furious.

"You two are so selfish," Alain said, sounding stoical for the first time. "All Roy and Jade wanted was for you two to get along. But you just had to fight with each other and ruin the relationship Roy and Jade have."

"We didn't mean to..." Jenn began, feeling ashamed of herself.

"Excuse me," Alain said abruptly as he stood up. "But I'm going to go and check up on Roy and Jade."

"I'm going to go and start on the dishes," Dinah said. "Will you help me, Ollie?"

"Of course." Ollie said quickly, anything was better than sitting in this awkward situation.

The three of them left the dinning room, leaving Wally and Jenn all alone. For awhile the two stood in silence, that is before Wally began to speak.

"Some friends we are." he said softly.

"We really messed up didn't we." Jenn said as she looked at him.

"Listen, about that comment I said earlier... I meant nothing by it, honest."

"I'm sorry about yelling at you. It's just when you said that it reminded me about my past. The boys in my old school used to say I was creepy and that I was a jinx."

"I don't really think you're creepy... and those boys must have gotten hit on the head or something because you are most certainly not a jinx."

"Thanks...," Jenn's eyes widened a bit as she realized something. "Are we actually having a conversation right now?"

Wally chuckled and smiled at her. "Yea, I think we are."

"So... what does this mean?"

"I think this means we can actually stay in the same room without killing each other."

Jenn smiled and even laughed a little.

"You have a nice smile." Wally commented softly.

Jenn stopped laughing and her cheeks flushed red. "... Flattery will get you no where."

"Ah but it does," Wally said wisely with a smirk on his face. "If I had said that twenty minutes ago you would have yelled at me and called me a pig who likes to flirt."

"Don't get your hopes up. Maybe the only reason why I didn't insult you is because we're friends now."

Wally looked taken aback. "Really? We're friends now?"

"Dork, of course we're friends."

"Well, that was easy."

Wally and Jenn turned their heads towards the door and saw Roy, Jade and Alain standing there.

"What do you mean, 'that was easy'?"

Jade grinned. "Roy and I made up that whole thing earlier. We both knew that if you guys felt guilty that the two of you would sort out your differences."

"And our plan worked!" Roy said proudly.

Wally and Jenn were stunned to silence. Both of them thought that was a mean trick their friends played on them yet they couldn't blame them for doing it. But... that didn't change the fact that they were royally pissed off right now.

Jenn looked at Wally and smiled evilly. "So, since we're friends now how about team up."

"You take Jade and I'll take Roy." he responded with a smirk.

"Deal."

The two stood up abruptly and advanced towards Roy and Jade who both took a nervous step back.

"Can't we talk about this..."

"There's no need for violence."

Wally and Jenn only smirked and spoke together. "Get 'em!"

Alain watched the whole scene with amused eyes and he smiled. "I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship."

----------------

**AND THAT'S HOW ROY, JADE, WALLY, JENN AND ALAIN ALL BECAME CLOSE FRIENDS.**

**SPECIAL THANKS TOO BerryDrops, Lil-Mz.Sunshine, FairieAngelx3o, toonfan820, SaoirseWaveglow, RavenSis, cookiesruletheworld, sweetnsxy, Ace.04, writer-not-a-fighter AND KrisSk8Gurl FOR THE WONDERFUL REVIEWS.**

**I AM SO SORRY TO ALL OF YOU FOR THE VERY LATE UPDATE. I'M HOPING THE NEXT UPDATE WILL BE SOONER, AND I PROMISE TO TRY AND UPDATE SOON. I HOPE YOU CAN ALL FORGIVE ME.**

**I HOPED YOU ALL ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER. HAPPY NEW YEARS!**

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	7. Chapter 7

A girl named Julie turned the page in her romance novel in boredom. She was one of the few teenagers who had to work on a Saturday afternoon. Julie wished her life was more exciting like the characters in her book instead of boring like her job here at your average fast food restaurant.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a buzz, indicating that a new customer had pulled in through the drive. Julie didn't blame them, inside the restaurant was packed with hungry people.

"Hello. May I take your order?" Julie asked.

_-Oooh, you sound cute. Can I have your number?-_

_-Idiot.-_

_-Ow! Raven hit me!-_

_-Shut up you guys. Don't make me come back there,- _the owner of the voice chuckled._ -Sorry about that. Um, let me get six large sodas_--

_-I want a diet soda.-_

_-Ditto for me.-_

_-Right, make that two diet sodas and four cokes.-_

_-Can we get cherry pie too?-_

_-I love cherry pie.-_

_-Would you guys shut up and let me order the damn food!-_

_-Oh move over and let me handle this. Excuse me, are you still there?-_

"Yes." Julie answered uncomfortably. She hated working the drive through, you always encountered the weirdest customers at the drive through.

_-Alright, I want two large diet sodas and four large cokes. Let me get two baked potatoes, one salad, three cherry pies, three double cheese burgers, one chicken sandwich and four chicken nuggets._

_-Oh, and a chocolate frosty!-_

_-And don't forget the onion rings.-_

_-Right, let me also have two chocolate frosties and five onion rings. Also, I would like six large fries and three mozzarella sticks._

"Is that all miss?" Julie asked.

_-I think so. Guys?-_

_-That sounds good to me.-_

_-Yeah, way to go, Karen.-_

"Pull up to the next window and you're food will be waiting for pick up," Julie said. "That will be... 75.80."

_-What! No fair. One of you guys should pitch in. Why do I have to pay for all of the food?-_

_-Because we love you and Bruce gives you more allowance than the rest of us put together.-_

Julie began to wonder what type of people would pull up to the window. From what she could tell there was six people, three boys and three girls. Julie gathered everything up into six bags and stepped up to the window. What she saw both shocked and amused her.

There was six people all right, three boys and three girls just like she assumed there would be. She wasn't shocked to see six teenagers looking back at her. She was shocked to see six teenagers on there bikes looking back at her.

"Uh... you are aware this is a drive through right?" Julie asked as she accepted money from a boy with black hair and black sunglasses. For a guy on bike he was cute.

"Yeah, we are," he said. "Why?"

"Well, nothing, it's just... Normally people use _cars_ for the drive through, not bikes."

"We'll keep that in mind for next time we visit," said a girl with long red hair as she took the sodas and placed it in the basket attached to her bike. "Thank you very much for your service."

"You're welcome." Julie said as the group of six began to peddle away. One with blonde hair stopped at the window and winked at her.

"About that number... OW!"

He was dragged away by his ear by a girl with purple eyes. "Idiot."

Julie blinked... that sure was interesting. She sighed. "I need a new job."

Down the street Gar and Raven had finally caught up with Kori, Dick, Vic and Karen.

"That was so embarrassing," Karen muttered as she rode her yellow bike. "Who goes to a drive through on their bikes?"

"Apparently we do." Raven said dryly as she rode her black bike.

"Hey, there's no need to complain," said Gar. He was riding a green bike. "It's not like this is the first time we've done it."

"Well I'm tired of it already," said Vic as he rode his blue bike. "One of us really needs to get a car."

"A car would be most helpful." Kori said quietly. She had purple bike that had a basket on the front.

"As soon as Bruce says it's okay I'm going to get some real wheels," Dick said with a smile as he took the lead in front of the others on his red bike. "I'll have me a motorcycle, just you all wait and see."

"And I'll have the coolest car you've ever seen." Vic said proudly as he rode along side Dick.

"And I'm gonna get a moped that has turbo speed," said Gar as he rode on the other side of Dick. "The chicks will dig me."

From the back the girl's all sighed. "Boys..."

"Hey," Gar paused and looked across the street. "Isn't that Alain?"

"Where?!" Raven and Kori said together, heart's springing to their eyes as they stopped their bikes.

They watched as Alain opened the door to his house and allowed a girl in. She was about his height, only a little bit shorter. She had short black hair that fell into her face and got in the way of her blue eyes. She walked inside Alain's house, him following behind her. The door closed silently behind them.

"Hmm... I ain't never seen her before."

"Me neither. I wonder who she is."

"Hey, the food is gettin' cold. Let's go guys."

Raven and Kori waited briefly, their eyes still on the door to Alain's house before they followed the others.

TT

"So who do you think that girl was?" Kori asked. It was Sunday and she was still curious about the girl she saw with Alain yesterday when they left the drive through.

"I haven't the slightest clue," said Gar as he sipped up his soda. Today Vic and Karen had decided to go out on a date, leaving Gar, Raven, Kori and Dick to hang out with each other at the mall. They were all currently sitting in the food court. "But she sure was cute."

"Super cute." Dick pitched in.

"I bet you that she's his girlfriend."

"What?!" Kori and Raven hissed, glaring at both Gar and Dick.

"Alain can't have a girlfriend," said Raven as she tried to control the jealous feeling inside her. "He just can't."

Dick and Gar knew what was best for them and so they kept their mouths shut. A wise decision on their part. They both knew how scary Kori and Raven could be when they were really angry.

"Hey, the movie is gonna start in a little bit," Gar said as attempted to divert the conversation to a new focus. Particularly the focus of the new movie they all came to see. "We should get going if we don't wanna miss it."

The others agreed and left the food court, heading towards the movie theater located in the mall. They were halfway through their journey when Dick spotted something. Or more like someone...

"Isn't that Alain?" Dick asked, pausing in his walk and pointing.

Gar stopped along with him. "Yeah, I think it is."

"Where?!" Raven and Kori asked at the same time, hearts in their eyes, as they shoved Dick and Gar out of the way, causing them to fall to the ground.

Kori gasped in horror. "He's with that girl again."

Alain with the girl they saw him with yesterday. There arms were linked as they walked into a wedding store.

"Why are they going into a wedding store?" Kori asked in concern. Concern that her crush really was involved with that girl.

"Maybe we should go and find out." Raven suggested dryly, acting as if she didn't care when really she did.

"Oh no, you two are coming with us to the movie theater," Dick said sternly. "Just like we planned."

"Yeah, besides," began Gar. "It's none of our business anyways."

"Right, so come on girls," Dick said as he directed them to the movie theater. "Times a wasting."

TT

It was Monday, which meant school for the students of Jump City High School. Fortunately it was a half day so the students were able to go home early today.

Kori had just finished gathering all of her things out of her locker and was currently walking down the hall. She stopped at the sound of some familiar voices...

"So do you wanna hang out after school," Wally asked Alain. "Roy is gonna hang out with Jade, again, and Jenn thought it might be cool if the three of us could watch a movie together."

"Sorry but I can't," Alain said. "I already have plans."

"Oh really?" Wally questioned curiously.

"Yeah, I have a wedding date with the most important girl in my life."

Kori gasped and quickly ran from the spot where she had been eavesdropping. She ran all the way to Raven's locker, glad to see that her friend hadn't left yet.

"Raven, I have something very important to tell you!" Kori cried out, her emotions going into a frenzy over what she just heard.

"Uh... okay," Raven said slowly with a raised brow. "What is it?"

"I over heard Alain saying he has a wedding date." Kori whispered.

Raven's eyes went wide. "A wedding date? But what could Alain possibly have to do... You don't think it involves that girl we saw him with yesterday do you? They did walk into that wedding shop in the mall."

"Perhaps Alain and this girl are to be married," Kori said in a shrilly voice. "This is horrible. Now he and I won't ever be together."

"Yeah... wait, what? What do you mean you won't be able to get with Alain," Raven asked angrily, poking a finger at Kori. "I saw him first. He's mine."

"What do you mean you saw him first? I should be able to date him."

"You have Dick."

"Dick's a friend."

"Right... whatever helps you sleep at night."

"Oh this is crazy. We're arguing over a boy when we're supposed to be friends."

"You're right," Raven said softly, feelings ashamed of herself. "I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too." Kori opened her arms wide for a hung but Raven quickly stepped back.

"Let's save the hugs for later, after we sort out this while mess with Alain," Raven smirked darkly. "Kori, you and I are going to crash that wedding."

"B-but... we don't even know where it is."

It was at that point in time that Wally passed by, whistling happily to himself. "Hey, Kori. Hey, Raven."

Both Kori and Raven smirked. "Hi, Wally."

"Do you mind if we have a word with you?"

Wally didn't know the trouble which laid in stored for him.

TT

"I feel bad about what we did to Wally." Kori confessed as she walked side by side next to Raven.

"Desperate times called for desperate measures," Raven said absently. "I'm sure he'll get over it." Raven paused and looked around. "We're on the right street but where's the house?"

"Over there." Kori said as she pointed at a house that had numerous cars parked in front of it with people coming and going. The people were all dressed up in fancy gowns and suits with gift wrapped presents in their hands.

"Alright, come on, let's go." Raven said as she grabbed Kori's hand and whisked her across the street. Raven pulled her into the bushes lining the fence of the house. They had made it to the backyard with out being noticed.

Kori and Raven couldn't help but stare at all the commotion taking place in the large backyard. Tables with food were set up, white folding chairs were being put into rows and a minister was shaking hands with the guest.

"It appears to be a backyard wedding in preparation," Kori said with a sigh. "I hope that I will have a backyard wedding when I'm older."

"Kori, look," Raven said as she pointed at a girl dressed in a light blue gown. "It's that girl Alain was with."

"I see her, but where is Alain?"

"I'm not sure. But I bet she knows. Come on, Kori. We're going to ask her a few questions," Raven said. "Stay low and follow my lead."

"Uh... Raven..." Kori began nervously.

"What is it, Kori?" Raven asked, turning her head towards Kori. Kori gulped and pointed above at the branches of a tree. Raven followed her gaze and saw three, little, wicked looking buys with water guns in their hands and smirks on their faces.

Raven cursed her luck. "Aw crap."

The boys in the middle had on a blue shirt and short black hair. He pointed at Raven and Kori. "Fire!"

The three boys made a battle cry and fired their water guns at Kori and Raven. Kori and Raven fled from the bushes and accidently bumped into someone holding a bowl of punch. The bowl of punch spilled on Kori, Raven and the person holding it.

"What's going on here?" demanded a voice.

The kids with water guns instantly dropped them.

"You kids go wash up now," said the voice, which belonged to a teenage girl dressed in a light blue gown. The kids instantly ran off and the girl turned her attention towards the three people on the ground, one she knew all too well. "Alain, are you okay?!" the girl kneeled down before him, careful as to not ruin her dress, and helped him up. She narrowed her eyes at Kori and Raven. "Who the hell are you two?"

"Funny, that's just about the same question we were going to ask you." Raven said coldly as she crossed her arms.

Alain blinked his eyes open and was shocked to see Kori and Raven standing before him. "Kori? Raven? What are you two doing here?"

Kori chuckled nervously. "That's a funny story... You see, Raven and I--"

"Came here to get some answers," Raven said coldly, interrupting Kori. "It would have been nice if you told us you had a girlfriend Alain."

"G-girlfriend," Alain spluttered, his eyes going wide. "I don't have a girlfriend."

"There is no need to lie, Alain," said Kori. "We know this girl is your girlfriend."

"Whoa, hold the phone," the girl said as she looked at Kori and Raven. "You two think that _I'm_ Alain's _girlfriend_?"

Both Kori and Raven nodded.

The girl bursted into a fit of laughter. She was laughing so hard that she clutched her side. "Alain, who are these girls?"

"Uh, the one with red hair is Kori. And the one with black hair is Raven," Alain said. "They're friends from school."

"Well tell friends that next time they should hire a detective," the girl said as she walked away laughing. "Me, Alain's girlfriend. I must be on one of those hidden camera shows cause that is funny."

Raven rose a brow at the retreating girl's form and turned to Alain. "I don't get it, what's so funny?"

Alain sighed ."The girl you just met, her name is Tula. And she's not my girlfriend, she's my cousin."

"Cousin?" Kori and Raven said in union, both rather shocked and relieved at the fact.

"Why did you two think she was my girlfriend?"

Kori and Raven went silent, their cheeks turning red in embarrassment.

"We saw you and her together twice..."

"And I over heard you saying that today you had a wedding date with the most important girl in your life."

"Today is my mom's wedding. She's getting remarried to my father. Tula and her family has been staying at my place for the time being, until the wedding is over."

"But the wedding store--"

"Tula wanted to get my parents a present. She doesn't know her way around Jump City so I had to take her to the mall even though I didn't want to."

"Oh..."

"Alain, we are so sorry."

"We never meant to cause any harm, we were just curious."

"Please forgive us."

"I forgive you both but... Why did you two go through all this trouble just to find out if I had a girlfriend or not?"

Kori and Raven shifted in their spots, both feeling rather uncomfortable by the question. Raven gave Kori a nudge in the ribs, silently persuading her to answer the question.

"Alain, Raven and I both... like you," Kori said, her eyes looking down at the ground. "Like, _like_ you, as in more than just friends."

"Oh..." Alain pulled at the collar of his stained shirt.

"Alain, this may be unfair but... Kori and I need an answer," Raven said. "Which one of us would you like to date?"

"Girls...," Alain began and he took a step closer. "I like you both... but I'm not ready for a girlfriend."

"Not even friends with benefits?" Raven asked, only to be nudged in the ribs by Kori.

Alain chuckled and placed a hand on both Kori and Raven's shoulders. "I like you both, really I do, but I value our friendship to much for it to change. I hope you both understand."

Raven and Kori glanced at each other before nodding their heads. "We understand."

"Good. I'll see you two tomorrow at school," Alain said. "I gotta go change for the wedding."

"Bye, Alain."

Raven and Kori showed themselves out and both sighed as soon as they reached the side walk.

"So, only friends." Kori said sadly.

"Yup." Raven said dryly.

"You know, maybe this is for the better. I mean, there are other guys out there."

"Kori, Raven! Wait up," Alain called as he reached the side walk. His shirt was unbuttoned, exposing his toned chest. "Kori, you left your purse back there."

Kori quietly grabbed her purse, her eyes glued on Alain's chest.

Alain smiled. "I gotta go. See ya'."

And just like that he was gone.

"Other guys huh," Raven asked. "But none quiet like him."

Kori sighed.

Raven linked arms with Kori and pulled her along until they were walking together at the same pace. "Come on, let's go mourn our loss over some ice cream."

TT

**SPECIAL THANKS TOO TerraBB4Eva, SaoirseWaveglow, FairieAngelx3o, Royal Blue, BerryDrops, writer-not-a-fighter, tennisgal456, DinoGoesRawr, cookiesruletheworld, RavenSis, toonfan820, Ace.04, sweetnsxy, mysteree101, littlebluelight AND whitestar24 FOR THE AWESOME REVIEWS! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH.**

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	8. Chapter 8

It was a lovely day at the park and the sun was shining brightly. The air was crisp and it was the perfect day for venturing outside.

Kori squeezed mustard on her hotdog and took a large bite. Her lips twisted upward into a smile and she licked her lips. Next to her Raven had a book in her hands and was reading, the world around her completely oblivious. Across from Raven sat Jenn with a sketch book in her hand. She was staring out into the distance and completely absorbed into her art work. Karen and Jade were sitting together and chatting while they watched the boys play a game of football.

Vic was the captain of his team. On his team was Dick and Alain. Roy was the captain of his team. On his team was Gar and Wally.

The ball was in Roy's hands and he ran backwards as Roy moved in. He threw the ball and sent it flying towards Wally. Wally caught it in his hands and tossed it to Gar before Dick could tackle him.

"I got it, I got it!" Gar yelled as he eyed the ball and got in position to catch it.

Alain ran up, jumped, and caught the ball.

"No fair!" Gar yelled as he chased after Alain.

Alain ignored Gar and kept on running. He had to get to the tree and score before any one tagged. Unfortunately for him, a group of kids was playing baseball and their ball had flown astray.

The baseball hit Alain smack on his head. The hit was so hard he fell to the ground. The children playing baseball froze in place and looked at each other before running away.

"Oh crap," Roy and the others quickly went up to Alain. "Alain, are you okay?"

"Ahh... my head..." Alain murmured.

Wally chuckled. "Dude, you got knocked the fuck out."

Jenn and Dick were standing on either side of Wally and jabbed him in the ribs.

"Easy there." Dick said softly as he lifted Alain up to his feet.

"Alain, can you hear me?" Vic asked.

Alain mumbled a yes.

"Can you still play?" Vic asked.

"Vic," scolded Jenn. "Show some compassion. He's hurt."

"Yeah, you're right...," Vic said softly. "I guess that means he can't play. Now I need a new player for my team."

"Oh, Vic, pick me," Karen pleaded. "I would love to play for your team."

Vic blinked. "Are you serious?"

Karen nodded, a wide smile on her face.

Vic burst into a fit of laughter. "Are you kidding me?! You can't play, you're a girl!"

Karen narrowed her eyes and put her hands on her hips. "Excuse me?"

"Football is a man's sport. It's not for girls to come and ruin it with their girliness."

"I can't believe what I'm hearing," Karen poked a finger at Vic. "Girls can play football just as well as guys can."

"Yeah right." Vic scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"I bet I could beat you at a game of football."

"Are you challenging me?"

"As a matter of fact, yes! Yes I am," Karen shouted. "Me and the girls against you and the boys."

"Fine," Vic shouted right back. "C'mon guys, let's play some football."

Everyone went silent.

"Umm... I should probably help Alain get home." Dick said, not liking the situation around him at all.

"I'll help." Roy said quickly, desperate to leave.

"Ha! That makes you short two players, Vic." Karen sneered.

Everyone went silent.

"Count me out." Raven said dryly, leaving.

"Me too." Jenn said, following Raven.

"Well then, I guess that makes the teams even then." Vic said.

"Guess so."

"Alright then, let's play some football!"

"But I'm hungry." whined Wally.

"So am I." said Gar.

"I can't play football in a skirt." Jade complained.

"Maybe we should have the game tomorrow instead." suggested Kori.

"Fine! We'll do it tomorrow." Karen said.

"Well that's fine with me." Vic answered back.

"Fine."

"Fine."

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

Vic and Karen glared at each other before angrily walking away.

TT

It was early into the afternoon. Gar and Wally had been wandering around the mall, doing nothing in particular but killing time. The game Vic and Karen had set up was to start in a few hours, so Wally and Gar still had time to spare and just hang out.

But Wally was doing much more than just hanging out. He was flirting with every pretty girl that passed him by. He was currently flirting with a brunette girl in the food court him and Gar were in.

Gar was sipping his soda as he watched Wally work his magic. The brunette girl giggled and slipped a piece of paper into Wally's hand before walking off. Wally coolly made his way back to the table he was sharing with Gar and smirked.

"Check it out," Wally said as he handed Gar an unfolded piece of paper. "Not only did I get her number but she invited me over to some house party. How cool is that?"

"Very cool," Gar said, handing him the sheet of paper back. "So, how do you do it anyway? You work faster than Dick."

"Well... I would say it's all in the attitude. You gotta be cool," Wally smiled cheekily and jerked his thumb towards himself. "Like me!"

Gar nodded. "Right, attitude."

"Hey, hey, hey! Check it out, Gar," Wally whispered. He pointed at a blonde haired girl with green eyes. "Hot girl at one o' clock."

"Wow... she sure is pretty," Gar frowned. "Way to pretty to even think about going out with someone like me."

"That may be true," began Wally, standing up. "But I'm gonna go over and talk to her. Her and I would make a great couple."

"That's what you said about the last eleven girls."

"And I got all of their numbers didn't I? And now it's time make it a baker's dozen," Wally rubbed his hands together and smiled. He practically ran up to the girl. He stopped by the table she was sitting at and cleared his throat, getting her attention. He smiled shyly. "Hey, my name is Wally West." Wally extended his hand for a shake. "I saw you across--"

"Let me guess," the girl said dryly, placing her book inside her bag. "You saw me across from where you were sitting and just had to know my name because my beauty stunned you like no other." The girl rolled her eyes and stood up. "Nice try, but not good nice enough."

Wally's mouth was hanging open and he was in complete shock as the girl walked away from him. He sat down on the seat she had vacated. "What the hell just happened?"

The blonde girl giggled to herself as she walked away from Wally. She has been asked out so many times before she knew how most guys worked. And Wally was an open book with an over-used pick-up line for a quote. Had he been different she probably would have given him the time of day but she had saw him with that brunette girl, and there was no way she was getting involved with some playboy.

As she walked by a table she paused, the smell of a tofu burger filled her senses. She turned her head to the side and found the source.

A boy which appeared to be about her age was sitting down with a tofu burger in his hand. The blonde girl had to admit, he did seem rather adorable. She stepped closer to his table and giggled when his tofu fell out of his buns.

Gar looked up from his fallen tofu and into the eyes of a pretty girl, the same girl who had rejected Wally only moments ago. He smiled sheepishly at the sound of her laugh and cursed himself for being so clumsy.

The girl ceased with her giggles and smiled at him. "Hi there. What's your name?"

Gar froze in his seat and turned his head from side to side before finally looking at her. "Umm... are you talking to me?"

The girl smiled and nodded. He really was adorable. And it was clear to her that he didn't end up in situations like this too often or else he wouldn't be so shy.

"I'm G-garfield L-logan." Gar stuttered, his cheeks turning red.

"Garfield," she rose a brow. "Like the cat?"

"You can call me Gar," Gar said abruptly. "That's what my friends call me. Or you can call me Bob, or anything else you like."

She giggled. "I think Gar is a cute name."

"R-really?"

She nodded. "Really. My name is Jillian."

"Now that's a nice name." Gar commented.

Jillian blushed.

Moments later Jillian and Gar separated from each other, each one of them going there separate ways. Gar waved goodbye as he walked over to Wally.

"Hey, dude. What's up?"

"She rejected me," Wally murmured. He shook his head and decided to finally get past the rejection. "Why did she go over to you?"

"Oh, it just so happens that Jillian is a vegetarian. She was drawn to my tofu burger."

"You got her name?!" Wally was beyond shocked.

"That's not all I got," Gar smiled brightly. "I got a date!"

TT

Vic, Gar, Wally, Karen, Kori and Jade decided not to meet up in the park. They didn't want what happened to Alain to happen to any of them. With that little factor in mind they decided to play their game somewhere else. They had picked an empty schoolyard to settle their dispute.

Vic and the boys occupied the left side of the yard while Karen and the girls occupied the right.

"Okay, are you guys ready?" Vic asked.

"I'm ready," Wally said indifferently before glaring at Gar. After the incident at the mall with Jillian Wally had become upset at Gar. "Try not to steal the ball, Gar, like you stole Jillian!"

"I didn't steal Jillian!" Gar retorted angrily.

"Hey, both of you stop it right now," Vic said, intervening between the two and glaring at them. "We're supposed to be fighting the girls, not each other."

Wally and Gar nodded in understanding. Their dispute could wait till after the game was over.

On the other side of the field the girls discussed a game plan.

"Okay girls, here's the plan," whispered Karen, being careful so the boys wouldn't hear. "I'm going to take on Vic. Kori, you can handle Wally and Jade will handle Gar. I'm going to throw the ball and one of you two are going to have to catch it."

"Gotcha." Jade said with a smirk gracing her lips.

"Gotcha." Kori said with a nod of her head.

"Are you girls ready to play or what?" Vic asked.

"Oh, we're ready all right," said Karen as she and the girl's separated to get into position. She passed by Vic who puckered up his lips at her, hoping to get a kiss before the game began. He leaned towards her but Karen placed a finger on his lips to stop him from kissing her. "I don't think so. No kissing until the game is over and done with."

"Whatever you say," Vic said, smirking as he stepped to get in position. "It'll be a short game anyways."

Everyone was in position and the ball was in Kori's hand. She glanced at everyone to make sure that they were ready. "Hike one, hike two, hike!"

Kori threw the ball from under her legs and Karen quickly snatched it up. Kori tackled Wally to the ground while Vic ran towards Karen.

"I'm open, I'm open!" Jade yelled, widely moving her arms up and down to be noticed.

Karen threw the ball at Jade just in time before Vic could reach her.

The ball neared Jade and when she reached out to grab it the ball fell between her fingers.

"Oops," she muttered before bending down to pick up the football. She stood up straight and noticed Gar charging towards her like an angry bull. She screamed and quickly ran away. She noticed the pole and ran faster. She touched the pole just in time before Gar could tag her. Jade began to cheer. "Yay! Oh yeah! I'm bad!"

"You got that right," scolded Karen, hands on her hips. "You just scored for the other team."

"I... I did," Jade bit her lip. She was so focused on escaping from Gar she didn't even noticed where she was going. "I'm so sorry!"

"Ugh... It's okay," Karen assured her, but was really assuring herself. "They have the lead but we can bounce back. We just need to switch up our game plan."

"What do you have in mind?" Kori asked.

"Umm... Oh, I got it," Karen said happily. "Kori, you can be a distraction. I just know that Wally would trip over his own two feet for a pretty girl. Jade and I can take care of Vic and Gar."

"Okay." Jade and Kori said in union, nodding their heads.

"You girls sure you don't wanna forfeit?" Wally asked with a cocky smile.

"Oh, we're still in this." Karen said with a knowing smile.

The boys looked at one another and shrugged the comment off as they got into position.

This time it was the boys turn to hike the ball. The ball was tossed to Wally and Kori quickly ran in front of him. He suspected her to charge at him but she didn't. Kori stood there, her fingers edging at the hem of her shirt. Wally took note that her cheeks were red.

_'Why is she blushing?'_ Wally thought to himself. His eyes went wide. "Oh my..."

Kori lifted up her shirt and exposed her purple bra to Wally's blue eyes. Wally stood frozen on his spot.

"Yonk!" Karen snatched the ball from Wally's hand and ran off, dodging Vic along the way.

"Karen, help!" Jade screamed as she was being chased by Gar.

Karen sighed. It was clear to her that Jade had no clue at all on how to play football. She then glared at the football in her hand and at her friend.

Karen ignored Jade's cry for help and instead chose to make touchdown.

TT

The game was beginning to come to a close and so far both Vic and Karen's teams were tied with twenty points each.

The game was beginning to become a lot more smooth for the girls once Karen realized that Jade was a horrible player. She was the weakest link so Karen kept the ball passing between herself and Kori. It was a plan that had gotten them as far as it did and it was going to win them the game.

But the boys had finally caught on and were planning to win the game.

"Okay you guys, this is it," Vic said strongly. "This is our last chance to win. So, did you guys remember the game plan?"

Wally and Gar nodded.

"Good," Vic grinned and clapped his hands. "Let's play some football."

Vic, Wally, Gar, Karen, Kori and Jade all got into their rightful positions. The hike was counted and the ball was tossed into Karen's hands. Karen began to run backwards, the ball held tightly in her hands as she got ready to toss the ball to Kori. Karen looked at Kori and her eyes went wide.

Both Wally and Gar had Kori completely bound. They were holding her arms and had their free arms around her waist to make sure she wouldn't escape.

Karen then saw Vic. He was charging at her with a fierce expression on his face.

Karen then saw Jade.

Jade was jumping up and down and waving her arms. Karen knew that she had played badly for the entire game but Jade looked determined.

Everything seemed to go in slow motion in Karen's eyes as she looked at Wally, Kori, Gar, Vic and Jade,

Jade was the only chance for the girl's team to win.

Karen threw the ball towards Jade just as Vic tackled her to the ground. Wally, Kori and Gar watched as the ball flew in the air.

The football landed in Jade's hands.

Jade stood frozen in shock. "I caught it...," she murmured. "I caught it!"

"Run, Jade!" Karen shouted as she struggled to contain Vic.

Jade quickly did as she told and ran to the touchdown area for the girl's team. She threw the ball on the ground and jumped in the air, consumed in bliss.

"We won! We won!" Jade cheered as Kori and Karen joined her. They all began to cheer as the boys approached them.

"Not us," interrupted Vic. "We won!"

"Yeah, Jade was ten feet away from the pole." Wally added in.

"Oh come on, like that actually matters!" Karen rebutted.

"Yeah, what's really important is that the hot girl chose me over you!" Gar said joyously as he mocked Wally.

"Umm... guys," Kori began timidly. The others all looked at her. "If Jade didn't technically score doesn't that mean that the game is still going on?"

All eyes went on the football laying on the ground.

Vic and Karen made a jump for the ball and grabbed it at the same time.

"Let go!"

"No, you let go," Karen yelled as she held on tighter to the ball. "I'm a little woman!"

The two continued to struggled for the ball while the others watched on.

Jade looked at the others and looked at the couple on the ground. "You guys wanna go and get some ice cream?"

"Sure, why not." replied Kori with a shrug.

"I'm in." Gar said quickly.

"Me too." Wally said as he followed the three, leaving Vic and Karen struggling for the ball on the ground.

TT

**SPECIAL THANKS TOO Koriand'r Grayson, littlebluelight, cookiesruletheworld, BerryDrops, toonfan820, Ace.04, sweetnsxy, Star 4 Robin, tennisgal456, TerraBB4Eva AND RavenSis FOR THE WONDERFUL REVIEWS. AGAIN, I'M SORRY ABOUT THE LATE UPDATE. I'VE BEEN BUSY. LUCKY THOUGH SPRING BREAK IS COMING REALLY, REALLY SOON SO I'LL HAVE MORE TIME TO WRITE.**

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	9. Chapter 9

Day 1

It was in the middle of January and a beautiful Monday day. Currently it was 8th period in Jump City High School, meaning that a majority of the freshman students had Mrs. Donavin's life class.

Mrs. Donavin had a wide smile on her face as she spoke to her students. "Okay class, today we will be starting a new project. This new project will hopefully teach you all a thing or two about partnership and responsibility."

"What kind of project will do that, Mrs. Donavin?" asked Karen.

"That's a good question, Karen," said Mrs. Donavin, taking out an egg from an egg carton. She raised the egg up high so that all of her students could see. "You all know what this is correct?"

The class nodded.

"Like, no duh we know what it is," came Kitten's voice in a most vile way. "It's an egg."

"Ah, but from this time to next Monday these eggs will be more than just eggs. They will become your children."

One student began to laugh uncontrollably.

"You can't be serious." came the reply of another student.

"Oh but I am. From now until next Monday you will be paired into marriage groups and will have to look after the egg given to you. It will be your responsibility to keep the egg safe and bring it back by next Monday in one piece... And I have each egg marked so I'll know who broke their egg, which means no switching," Mrs. Donavin announced. She looked around the room for a raised hand, checking to see if any one had a question. When she saw no raised hands she continued. "Alright then, let's get you all into your pairs. First up is... Vic and Jenn."

"Sweet, we're up," Vic said, looking over at Jenn. The two got up and went to the front. Mrs. Donavin handed Vic the egg but once Vic grabbed it he accidently dropped it. "Uh... oops."

"That's quite all right, Vic. You and Jenn can have another one."

Jenn quickly slapped Vic's hand away and took the egg from Mrs. Donavin. "No touching," she growled at him. She didn't want him to drop the egg like he did the first one. "I'll hold on to this."

"Next we have Raven and Wally."

"Aw," Wally murmured. "Isn't Wally Jr. cute?"

"We are not calling our egg Wally Jr." Raven uttered, taking the egg from Wally's hands.

"Okay, Kori and Elliot, come on up."

"I get to work with Kori," shrieked Elliot, a grin on his face. "Oh happy day!"

"Let's promise to do our best okay, Elliot." Kori said, smiling at Elliot, holding the egg given to her gently in her hands.

Elliot felt like melting.

"Next up is Jade and Alain."

"This should be easy." commented Alain, taking the egg from Mrs. Donavin.

"We're sure to pass this." responded Jade, grinning at Alain.

"Karen and Roy, come up please."

"Oh man this is gonna suck." Roy whispered to Karen.

"I'm sure it won't be that bad." Karen whispered back, taking their egg.

"Cindy and Fang."

"Should we give our egg a name?" Cindy asked Fang as they walked back to their seats.

"Call it whatever you want," Fang replied. "I could care less."

Mrs. Donavin continued to call out names and it didn't take her long to reach the last four students. The last four students were Dick, Gar, Kitten and Mandy. Dick took notice of the situation and began to pray. He hoped that he wouldn't get stuck with Kitten on this project. Not that far from him was Kitten, praying that she and Dick would end up as partners.

"Okay, our next couple is Kitten and," Dick began to sweat in fear while Kitten crossed her fingers, hoping that lady luck was on her side. "Gar. Mandy, that means your partner is Dick. Now up, all of you, and come get your egg."

As soon as Mrs. Donavin announced the finale pairs Dick pumped his fist and shouted yes while Kitten's head fell to her desk and she cried no. The two were so caught up in the results that they didn't even bother to go up and collect their egg with their partner.

Gar sat next to Kitten and held up the egg for her to see. "What do you think? Pretty cool egg isn't it?"

Kitten narrowed her eyes at him.

Mandy sat by Dick and observed the egg. "Why do I have a bad feeling about this?"

Dick rose a brow at her.

"Okay class, now that you all have your eggs and are partnered up it's up to you to decide how to raise your child. Also, I would like all of you to spend some time with your partner and your egg and report on your partner's skills as a parent. Your reports will then be transformed into one big essay about the project."

"Wait? So we have to act like a real family?" questioned Dick.

"That's the idea," Mrs. Donavin answered. The bell rang and she smiled. "Feel free to decorate your eggs. Class dismissed!"

TT

Day 2

It was Tuesday and Mandy and Cindy were at Kitten's house. They were hanging out in Kitten's pink room with their eggs safely placed on fluffy pillows while they painted their nails.

"So...," Kitten began the conversation. "How's everything with you and Dick, Mandy?"

Mandy shrugged indifferently. "It's only been a day so I can't say exactly."

"Oh... I see," Kitten turned to Cindy. "What about you, Cindy? Are you and Fang getting along?"

"Well, he said he didn't want anything to do with this project but I think I can change his mind and get him to help."

Kitten stood up, abruptly, glaring at Cindy. "You slut! You're after my boyfriend!"

"Back off, Kitten," demanded Mandy angrily. "Leave Cindy alone. She's not after your boyfriend."

Kitten turned her fury on Mandy. "You're a slut too! You're after Dick even though you know I've had a crush on him since like, forever!"

"Kitten, please," begged Cindy. "We're your friends. We wouldn't do anything to hurt you."

"I would." muttered Mandy quietly.

"It's not our fault that we got stuck working with Dick and Fang."

"I don't believe you. I think you two are out to steal my men."

"Your men? Oh please, Kitten," responded Mandy, rolling her eyes. "The only man you have is Fang and you can barely hold on to him."

"Girls please," Cindy begged. "Let's not fight. We're supposed to be like Josie and the Pussy Cat Dolls and the Powerpuff Girls. We're friends!"

"Well clearly our friendship doesn't mean anything to, Kitten," came the bitter response from Mandy. She picked up her coat and her egg and walked to the door. "See you guys later."

The door slammed behind Mandy and silence took her place.

Cindy grabbed her coat and her egg. Looking the other way she bit her lip. "I'll... see you later, Kitten."

The door shut behind Cindy and Kitten crossed her arms.

"You know what, I don't need you two! To hell with you bitches! Man stealing whores!" Kitten plopped herself on her bed and screamed into her pillow.

That's when she heard her bedroom door creak open.

Kitten immediately rose and smiled. "I knew you two would come back. I'm-... What are you doing here?"

Gar chuckled sheepishly at Kitten's glare. She gave him the creeps sometimes. "I came to get our egg. Your dad et me in."

"Oh right," Kitten grabbed the egg and tossed it to Gar. "Here. Take it."

Gar screamed as he quickly moved to catch the falling egg, barely catching it in time. He glared at Kitten while holding the egg protectively. "You know, if you want to pass this project you're going to have to be more careful with our egg."

Kitten rolled her eyes. "Like I care about this project. Now get out of my room. I want to take a nap."

TT

Day 3

Dick felt his eyes getting heavy as he listened to Mandy talk about the fight she had with Kitten. He wasn't really listening, just nodding his head to whatever she was saying. Dick really wished he didn't have to spend time with Mandy, but he had no choice, project rules were there for a reason.

"And so I just stormed out of there," Mandy said, still clearly agitated over yesterday's events. "Kitten had absolutely no right to talk to me and Cindy like that. Do you and your friends ever get like that?"

"Uh-huh."

Mandy stood up abruptly, glaring down at Dick. "You're a jerk, you know that!"

"Uh-huh."

Mandy groaned and walked away, leaving the egg with Dick. She was too angry to deal with infuriating people.

Unknown to Mandy, Dick didn't even realize that she left. He was still nodding his head and muttering "Uh-huh."

TT

Cindy smiled at her accomplishment. She had just finished decorating the egg given to her by Mrs. Donavin. It was painted a light shade of blue on the bottom with a black stripe running across it. She drew big blue eyes and used yellow glitter on the top for hair. She showed her work to Fang who was sitting on the couch right besides her.

"What do you think?"

"It looks okay." Fang hadn't even bothered to look. He was too absorbed with watching the tv in Cindy's living room.

"You didn't even look. Come on, Fang. Can't you--"

"Would you mind getting me another soda," he cut her off. "I like having something to drink when I'm watching tv."

"Sure," Cindy muttered, getting up and walking to the kitchen. Fang was treating her more like a maid than his partner. Regardless of his treatment towards her Cindy got him a can of soda. She handed it to him and waited until she couldn't wait no more. "Fang--"

"What is it now?"

"I was thinking maybe we could... talk... or something. Maybe we can--"

"Oh man would you shut up! All you do is nag! You sound like an old lady," Fang snapped. "Now be a good girl and go wash the dishes or something. How about making me something to eat while you're at it."

"Well maybe if you helped take care of the egg we have I wouldn't nag so much!" Cindy shouted, storming off to the kitchen.

TT

Day 4

It was the fourth day of the egg project and Roy looked down at his phone, debating whether to pick it up or not.

Roy was getting suspicious. Ever since this egg project began Jade and Alain had been spending a lot of time together. Jade never seemed to have time for him because she had to go meet up with Alain and do something with their egg.

It wasn't that he didn't trust his best friend and his girlfriend, it's just that the little guy dressed in red perched on his shoulder didn't trust them.

Perhaps it was the coffee he drank or the little amount of sleep catching up with him, but Roy could have sworn that a miniature version of him sat on both of his shoulders. One was dressed in white, which was an angel version of him, and the other was dressed in red, which was the devil version of him.

At first he listened to the good guy in white but the one dressed in red wouldn't stop poking at him. The one in red kept telling him of all of the possible things Jade could be doing with Alain, when she should be here with him instead.

Roy was going insane.

He had to call. Now.

Quickly grabbing the phone he called Alain. It didn't take long for Alain to answer the phone.

_"Hello?"_

"Hey, Alain. It's me Roy."

_"Oh, hey. What's up?"_

"Nothing much. I was wondering if you wanted to hang out."

_"Sorry but I can't. Jade and I are making a case to protect our egg out of an egg carton."_

"Oh... so, Jade is there with you..."

_"Yeah, she's a great partner. With her by my side I'm sure to get a good grade for this stupid project."_

"Yeah... well... your hair is stupid."

With that being said Roy turned off the phone and crossed his arms, leaving a shocked Alain on the other line. That's when Roy heard the doorbell ring. He got up to see who it was. When he opened the door Karen was standing on the other side.

"It's your turn to watch the egg." she said.

"I'm busy right now," claimed Roy, when in reality he had nothing to do. "Can't you watch it?"

"No. I have to go to the mall."

"Can't you go to the mall some other time?"

"Listen, Roy. Ever since this project began I've been I've been doing all of the work," pointed out Karen while she glared at Roy. "It' time for you to take some responsibility and watch our egg!"

"Yeah, well, I didn't even want to have this egg with you! You take it!"

Karen grabbed Roy by his shirt collar and shook him. "You are taking care of this egg whether you like it or not!"

Roy was so afraid of Karen at the moment he quickly nodded his head and took the egg from her hand. Karen released him and walked away.

Roy muttered something under his breath and shut the door. He looked down at the egg and shrugged his shoulders. Going over to the couch he tossed the egg on a throw pillow, grabbed the remote and began flicking through the channels.

TT

To be continued...

TT

**SPECIAL THANKS TOO Koriand'r Grayson, Star 4 Robin, cookiegurl15, BerryDrops, tennisgal456, krissk8gurl, cookiesruletheworld, TerraBB4Eva AND mysteree101 FOR THE REVIEWS! YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST! I HOPED YOU ALL LIKED THIS CHAPTER.**

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	10. Chapter 10

Day 5

Kori found herself in quite a jam, one that she didn't know how to fix. Ever since the egg project began, Elliot had been bothering her nonstop. He would call her, visit her, and he even gave her the nickname Star Angel. He liked to be called Control Freak and there were times when he would just stare at her in a daze.

Kori didn't know what to do. She wanted to tell Elliot how she felt, but she didn't want to hurt Elliot's feelings.

Normally, Kori would have gone to one of her friends for advice, but she couldn't this time. Everyone seemed to be having troubles with their partners. They were in no position to give Kori advice.

So, Kori went to last person she could think of for help.

Her sister.

Kori sat on top of Komi's bed with her legs crossed, clutching a pillow to her chest. Komi was in her walk-in-closet looking for an outfit.

"And I just don't know what to do," confessed Kori miserably. "I feel like he's suffocating me. It's like I don't have any personal space anymore. I don't want to hurt him, but I don't want him to bother me either!"

"Well the project ends in a couple of days, can't you just wait it out," Komi asked, stepping out of the closet. She held up a black tank-top and a red-one. "Which one do you like better?"

"I was thinking about that, but then he called me ten times in one day. I like the black one better."

"Me too," Komi said in agreement, walking back into the closet. "It sounds like this guy is really obsessing over you."

"Tell me about it...," Kori mumbled. "Did you ever go through this during your egg project?"

"Sure did. I don't know what it is about this project, but it makes everyone go insane."

"How did you handle it?"

"I told my partner off... But since you're too nice to do something like that, I say you just let him down gently," Komi stepped out of the closet. "What do you think?"

"I think you look great...," Kori narrowed her eyes. "Is that my skirt?"

"Uh... Gotta go," Komi said quickly, grabbing her purse and heading to the door. "Good luck with your problem!"

Kori sighed and walked out of Komi's room, heading for her own room. She pondered Komi's words. Perhaps her sister was right, maybe she did have to be tougher on Elliot.

Kori nodded her head. She would do it. She would take Komi's advice.

Just as Kori was about to start some homework, she heard a sound. It was music. Kori instantly recognized the song as one of her favorites. It was Whitney Houston's song, 'I Will Always Love You'.

Kori looked around her room. None of her electronic devices were on. Komi had just left, so she couldn't be the source of the music. Both of her parents were on a business trip so it couldn't be them either.

Kori looked at her balcony. The sound was coming from outside. Kori opened the doors to her balcony and walked outside. What she saw made her jaw drop.

Elliot was standing in her backyard. He was wearing a black leather jacket and in his hands was a radio.

"Oh dare lord..." Kori covered her eyes. She couldn't believe what Elliot was doing.

"Kori! I'm so glad you came out," Elliot said with a bright smile on his face. He turned off the music. "How are you today?"

"I'm... fine." Kori lied. She was far from fine. She was creeped out.

"How is our love child?"

"Our love child? What are you talking about?"

"Our egg."

"The egg is fine. And don't call it our love child!"

"Oh, Kori, but it is our love child. We share a bond."

"We don't have a bond!"

"Deny it all you want my Star Angel, but I know you want me."

"Go home," Kori shouted angrily, walking back into her room. She paused and walked back outside. "And stop calling me Star Angel!"

Elliot smirked. "She so wants me."

TT

Day 6

Vic was furious. Ever since the egg project began, Jenn wouldn't let him go anywhere near the egg. She wouldn't let him hold it or even see it. She said he was too dangerous to be around the egg.

Vic scoffed at the idea. The egg was just as much as his as it was hers. They were partners and they were in this thing together. He wanted to help earn the grade, which is why he was heading over to Jenn's apartment.

Pressing the bell, Vic waited outside of Jenn's door.

The door opened hallway and Jenn frowned at Vic. "What are you doing here?"

"I want to see our egg." Vic demanded.

Jenn sighed. "Vic, we've been over this. I can handle the egg by myself. Why don't you just go and enjoy yourself at the arcade of something?"

"But... I want to help."

"You can help by staying away."

"You know what, I'm not leaving. I want our egg now."

"Excuse me?"

"That egg is just as much as mine as it is yours. Now cough it up."

"I was afraid things would come to this," Jenn sighed. "Hold on one second."

Vic pumped his fist. He did it, he actually did it. He had finally convinced Jenn to let him help out with the egg.

Jenn returned to the door, and instead of handing Vic their egg, she handed him a piece of paper instead.

"What gives?" Vic asked, confused.

"That is a document signed by you giving me full rights to our egg." Jenn explained.

"What? I would never sign anything like that!"

"Yeah, well, you did," Jenn responded, smirking. "You signed it that day after football practice."

"You said you wanted my autograph!"

"I lied."

Vic was appalled and angry. Jenn was a sly one, he gave her that, but he wasn't going to give up. He would see his egg no matter what.

"This isn't over, Jenn," Vic yelled, walking away. "I'll be back! Just you wait, you can't stop me from seeing our egg!"

"Boo-hoo." Jenn responded dryly, shutting the door.

TT

Day 7

Raven had her arms crossed. Currently, she was handing out with Wally and their egg, or as Wally called the egg, Iris.

When the egg project first began, Raven was genuinely surprised at how well Wally handled the egg. He handled it with care, and even went out of his way to make a case for it shaped like a cradle. Raven felt lucky to have Wally as a partner. With his help the project was sure to have an A waiting at the end.

That was what Raven thought at first. A couple of days into the project, he opinion changed.

Wally was driving her insane. He had become obsessive with the egg, or rather Iris. Not only did Wally name the egg, he even gave it features. Using colored markers he gave the egg blue eyes and black hair. Wally had even set up rules for handling the egg. One rule was that only clean hands could touch the egg. Wally didn't want his 'child' infected with germs.

"So, uh, Raven..."

"Hmm?" Raven rose a brow at Wally. He was sitting across from her at the local pizzeria.

"Since today is the last day with Iris, I was thinking I should take her home," Wally suggested. "You know, to insure her protection."

"Excuse me?"

"I just think Iris would be safer with me."

Raven glared at Wally. "Why?"

"Let's face facts Raven, you're not exactly 'mommy material'." Wally used his fingers to quote the statement.

"Are you suggesting I'm a bad mother?" Raven felt insulted.

"No, never. I just--"

"Wait a minute. Why are we even arguing," Raven asked. "It's a stupid egg."

Wally gasped. He glared at Raven when the shock wore off. "Iris is not an 'it', and she is not stupid."

"She's an egg." Raven insisted, this time with attitude.

"Raven, you are violating the rules--"

"Oh, fuck the rules," Raven snapped. "I'm tired of this obsession you have with this egg! You're... what are you doing?"

"Huh," Wally looked up from his notebook. "Oh, nothing."

"Wally, what are you writing?"

"I wasn't writing."

"Yes you were."

"Was not."

"Was too."

"Was not."

"Let me see."

"No."

"So you do have something. Give it here."

"No!"

There was a struggle for the notebook Wally was holding, but a slap to his head made him let go. Raven began to read and Wally watched as the expressions on her face changed. Her current expression was rage.

"Unfit parent huh. Yells too much," Raven read aloud the words written about her. She glared at Wally. "What the hell?!"

"Mrs. Donavin told us to write updates about our partners, so that's what I'm doing."

"Way to throw me under the bus, Wally!" Raven snapped, throwing the notebook back at the red head. She walked away infuriated.

Wally shrugged her reaction off and took a sip of his soda. He heard footsteps coming from behind him and turned to look. His eyes fell upon Raven. The goth girl stopped at their table and glared at him.

Silence.

Raven snatched their egg and left the pizza parlor.

"Raven! Raven, get back here with Iris! This isn't funny!" Wally shouted as he quickly gathered his things and ran after her.

TT

Day 8

Mrs. Donavin had a check list in her hand as she moved on to the next partnership in her class. "Okay, Alain and Jade, I see that your egg is present. How was the project for you two?"

"It was a piece of cake," Alain began. "Jade was just awesome."

"And Alain was just a natural at this," Jade added in. "I couldn't have asked for a better partner."

"Excellent," Mrs. Donavin smiled and moved on to the next couple. "Fang and Cindy... Where is your egg?"

"Fang broke it," Cindy shouted. "He's a no good pig and didn't help at all! All I did was ask him to hold the egg and he dropped it! He dropped it!"

"Well if you didn't nag so much maybe I wouldn't have dropped it!" Fang screamed.

Mrs. Donavin didn't know what to say so she moved to the next couple. "Elliot and Kori, I don't see your egg either."

"It's my fault we don't have an egg," Kori confessed. "I got mad and threw our egg at Elliot."

"But only because I deeply angered the Star Angel with my--"

"Star Angel?" Mrs. Donavin questioned.

"It's a... nickname Elliot gave me." Kori mumbled.

The whole class was consumed in a fit of laughter.

Mrs. Donavin moved down the line. "Roy and Karen, please tell me you have your egg."

"We don't," Karen said, glaring at Roy. "Because carrot-top here fried it!"

"I was hungry and it was breakfast time," Roy replied. "I had a mix up with the eggs, sue me."

Mrs. Donavin moved down the row of students and after passing a few couples, she stood in front of Gar and Kitten.

"Kitten was the worst partner ever," Gar responded to Mrs. Donavin when she asked him about the project. "She let her cat use our egg as a chew toy!"

"Hey, it's not my fault Fluffy got bored." Kitten snapped.

Mrs. Donavin sighed as she checked off Gar and Kitten's egg as broken. She went to the next couple. "Vic and Jenn. Do you two have your egg?"

"No," Jenn muttered, upset. "Vic broke it."

"By accident!" Vic pointed out.

"How did the egg break?"

"Well, Jenn wouldn't let me help with the egg... so I snuck into her apartment, and when I was climbing through the window I fell and broke the egg."

"So in other words you sat on it?" one kid asked.

Vic nodded.

The class bursted into laughter once more.

"Wally and Raven, how did you two do?"

"Bad," Wally said instantly. "Raven is mean, and she yells, and she's mean, and did I say mean?"

"Oh please, you big baby," Raven responded. "You're just mad because you broke the egg."

"That egg you're talking about was called Iris, and you're the one who broke her!"

"I told you to catch and you missed!"

"Well you shouldn't have thrown her in the first place. That was against the rules."

"Okay, moving on," Mrs. Donavin said quickly. "Dick and Mandy... Since I don't see an egg I'm assuming the egg broke."

"It was Dick's fault," Mandy said abruptly, pointing a finger at Dick. "He left the egg on the floor!"

"My fault? It's your fault," Dick accused. "You stepped on it!"

"Enough arguing, all of you," Mrs. Donavin hardly ever yelled. "This project was supposed to teach you all about responsibility, and more than half of the class wasn't responsible enough to keep an egg from being broken. I am truly ashamed."

The class wore guilty expressions on their faces.

"To those who returned the eggs, you all get As'," Mrs. Donavin announced. Some of the students cheered. "To those who didn't, I want essays about responsibility, due Friday."

Most of the students groaned at that statement.

TT

The school day ended and students were gathering around their lockers. Kitten closed her locker door and saw Mandy with Cindy. Kitten silently debated with herself as whether or not to talk to them.

Before she even knew it, she was standing besides them.

"Hey." Kitten murmured.

"Hey." Mandy responded.

"Hi, Kitten." said Cindy.

The girls were silent.

"Um, sorry about what happened." Kitten muttered. Saying sorry wasn't exactly something she was good at.

Mandy's expression became soft. "I'm sorry too."

"Me too," Cindy added in. "Though I don't know why I'm apologizing."

Mandy and Kitten laughed.

"Friends again?" Kitten asked.

Mandy nodded. "Friends."

"Yay! We should, like, totally celebrate at the mall," Cindy said happily. "I saw the cutest pink skirt."

Gar was not far from the three girls and saw the whole thing. He was stunned.

"Hey, Kitten," he called out, capturing the trio's attention. "Don't you think you owe someone else an apology?"

Kitten scoffed at him and flicked her hair. "As if loser."

"But, but..." Gar stammered.

"You heard the lady," Fang told Gar, pushing the blonde into the lockers. "Now move it freak."

Gar rubbed his arm and walked over to Dick. "Did you see that?"

"I saw most of it," Dick said. He smirked at Gar. "Wanna come over to my house and watch Bay Watch?"

"Half naked girls? I'm so in."

Meanwhile...

Roy had his hands in his pockets as he looked over at Jade, Alain and Karen. The three were talking animatedly. Roy sighed and walked up to them.

"Hey guys, what's up?"

Alain, Jade and Karen immediately stopped talking and looked at Roy.

Karen crossed her arms and glared at him. "What do you want?"

"I wanted to apologize, to all of you," Roy looked at Alain. "Dude, you're my best friend. I was wrong to have treated you the way I did, and I'm sorry."

"So... you really don't think my hair stupid?" Alain asked.

"As a matter of fact, you're hair is one of the best I've ever seen," Roy looked over at Karen. "Karen, I'm sorry I was a sucky partner. I should have helped out more."

"Yeah, you should have." Karen said, agreeing with him.

"Jade, I'm really sorry about the way I acted with you," Roy said, taking his girlfriend's hands in his own. "I was stupid to think that you and Alain... I'm so very sorry. Can you guys please forgive me."

Jade looked at both Alain and Karen who nodded at her.

Jade smiled. "We forgive you."

Roy smiled and went in to kiss Jade's lips but she pulled away.

"Oh no mister, you're not getting off that easy," Jade said smirking. "If you want our full forgiveness I'm thinking you should treat us to some pizza. Sounds good?"

"Sounds good to me!" Karen cheered.

"Me too," Alain responded. "I'm starved."

Roy stuck his tongue out and followed them. "You guys are mean."

Meanwhile...

"I was afraid she was gonna make us write an essay," Jenn sighed. "Oh well. No use in crying over spilled milk, right?"

"I'm sorry Jenn," Vic said. "This is my fault."

"I'm sorry too," Jenn replied. "If I would have let you help this probably would have never happened."

"I guess we both made mistakes," Vic said. "But now that it's in the past, wanna have pizza with me and the others? Karen told me it's Roy who's treating."

"A chance to mooch off of Roy," Jenn said, smirking. "I wouldn't miss it."

Meanwhile...

"Do you want to start or should I?" Raven asked Wally as they stood by her locker.

"I guess I should start," Wally answered. He took a deep breath before beginning. "I'm sorry that I called you mean and non-mommy material. I was a real jerk."

"I'm sorry that I tossed Iris at you," Raven said, mentally scolding herself for actually calling their egg by the Wally gave it. "I really did think that you would have caught her, seeing how you're so fast and all."

Silence.

"So, what happens now?"

Raven shrugged. "I don't know. We shake hands I guess."

"Oh come on, Raven. After everything we've been through, I say we hug!"

"I don't like hugs."

"Come on, Raven, hug me!"

"No."

Wally lowered his arms and pretended to walk away. He looked over his shoulder and saw that Raven had her back turned to him. Quickly, Wally ran up behind her and wrapped her in a bear hug. He spun her around and let go, then ran away laughing.

"I hugged Raven! I hugged Raven!" Wally chanted as he ran down the hall.

Raven glared at the red head before chasing him. "You idiot, get back here so I can slap you!"

Meanwhile...

Kori hummed softly to herself as she packed away anything she needed from her locker. Once she was done, she closed her locker door and walked down the hall. While walking down the hall she spotted Elliot at his own locker. Kori felt like walking the other way, but instead she walked over to him. She wanted to clear the air with him.

"Hey, Elliot." Kori greeted.

"Oh, St-Kori," Elliot closed his locker door. "I am both honored and confused at your presence. I thought you were mad at me."

"I was, but I'm not anymore."

"I am deeply sorry for the trouble I caused you these past few days," Elliot said. "It's just that, I find you so very attractive and... I'm just very sorry."

"I'm sorry too," Kori giggled. "I'm also sorry about throwing some of my belongings at you when you showed up at my house."

"Well, you need not worry. The hint has been taken," Elliot smiled lightly. "Uh, have a nice day, Kori."

"Wait a second, Elliot," Kori said. "I don't have any plans today. Would you like to go see a movie with me?"

"As in a date?" Elliot's eyes had hearts in them.

"No, not a date," Kori replied firmly. "Just two acquaintances going to the movies. Nothing more, nothing less."

Elliot knew when not to be picky. Now was not a time to be picky. "I am over joyed at you asking me to join you to the movies and I accept."

"Great," Kori smiled. "Let's go."

TT

Many of the students from Mrs. Donavin's class were surprised. What started out as a project gone wrong, turned out to have a pleasant ending for most of the students.

TT

**SPECIAL THANKS TOO cookiesruletheworld, BerryDrops, Raven of Alaska, cookiegurl15, tennisgal456, mysteree101, TerraBB4Eva, sweetnsxy, SwishingWindstar AND toonfan820 FOR THE WONDERFUL REVIEWS. YOU GUYS ARE THE GREATEST!**

**ATTENTION EVERYONE: MY SCHOOL EXAMS ARE ON JUNE 20th, SO I'LL BE BUSY DURING THE MONTH OF JUNE AND IF I DON'T UPDATE YOU KNOW WHY. SO I JUST WANT TO SAY SORRY IN ADVANCE.**

**I HOPED EVERYONE LIKED THIS CHAPTER.**

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	11. Chapter 11

Kori smiled brightly to herself as she stared at her accomplishment. She was in her living room, setting up the final touch for her day with Dick. He was coming over to her house to watch a marathon of movies and eat junk food, all of which of what would be done kicking back on the couch. Kori had gone out of her way to rent all of Dick's favorite movies, including the horror ones she wasn't to fond of. Not only that, but she also had his favorite soda and favorite snacks, one of which being his favorite candy that she had to battle an eleven year old boy to get.

Today was going to be a perfect day, Kori could tell. Just her and Dick. No Gar and Vic fighting over tofu and meat. No Raven telling Gar and Vic to shut up. No Karen eating up all of the popcorn. Today it would only be Kori and Dick.

All alone.

"Hey sis, what do we have here?" Komi walked into the room and took a can of soda.

"Put that done," Kori replied, snatching the soda away. "That's not for you. That's for Dick."

"The dwarf with the spiked up hair?"

"He's not a dwarf," Kori snapped, glaring. "Why are you even still here? You should be gone already."

"Hello, I ran out of allowance money."

"So...?"

"So, no cash means no fun. Which means I'm staying home for today," Komi smirked. "Hey, maybe I can join you and Dick. You don't mind, do you, Kori?"

"I do so mind! You can't stay here! Dick will be here any minute!"

"If you want me to go so bad you can always lend me the cash." Komi grinned.

Kori hung her head. Her sister was as sly as they come. "Fine. Go upstairs to my room, my wallet is on my desk."

"Thanks! I owe you one." Komi squealed and ran up the stairs, running back down just as quickly and out the front door.

Kori sighed in relief. She had the whole house to herself. Now all she had to do was wait for Dick to show up. She looked at her watch, any minute now Dick would be knocking at her door...

Ten minutes passed and the clock read 1:10. Dick was ten minutes late. Dick was never one to be late.

"I'm sure he will be here soon." Kori mumbled to herself.

Kori began to munch on some of the popcorn. She checked the time again. Another ten minutes had passed by.

"Maybe I should call...," Kori grabbed her cell phone and called Dick up. Perhaps he had run into some traffic and that's why he was late. Kori waited a few minutes but there was no answer. "That's weird. Dick always picks up his phone."

Kori decided to wait it out. She turned the tv on and began to flick through channels.

Eventually a whole hour passed by, and still no word from Dick. It wasn't long until another two hours passed by. By that time Kori had finished about a quarter of the snacks. She had tried Dick's cell phone again, even Wayne Manor, but there was no response from him.

Kori looked over at her front door. Maybe is she concentrated hard enough Dick would knock at the door. She closed her eyes real tight and waited.

Someone knocked at the door.

Kori jumped up off the couch, a wide smile on her face. She jolted to the door, stopping for a quick minute to fix her hair, before opening the door. The wide smile on her face fell into a frown.

On the other side of the door was not Dick, far from it. On he other side of the door was, in lack of a better word, a nerd.

"Hi, would you like to sign this petition to ban smoking in front of the library?" asked the boy. After he finished his sentence he took a breath of air from his inhaler.

Kori sighed. So much for a perfect day. "Sure."

She signed the petition and the boy left. Kori went back to the living room and plopped herself on the couch. She looked at the time, then at the stack of movies, and finally, the table full of junk food.

It was clear to her now that Dick wasn't coming over.

With the perfect day perfectly ruined, Kori began to clear up everything she had gotten for Dick and herself.

TT

Dick spotted Kori by her locker Monday morning. He could tell by the look on her face that she wasn't happy, and he was pretty sure he knew why.

Dick gulped. It was time to face the inevitable.

Strolling up to Kori he waved a white tissue. "I come in peace."

Kori rose a brow at him. Turning her head she slammed her locker door shut and walked away. "Hmph!"

"Aw, c'mon, Kori. Don't be that way." Dick pleaded, chasing after her.

"How should I be then, Dick? Would you prefer that I be bubbly and forgiving?"

"That forgiving part doesn't sound so bad," Dick winced at the glare Kori gave him. "Okay, about the other day... I didn't mean to be a no-show, but I was busy. Some things came up and--"

"What things?"

Dick chuckled sheepishly. "Well, you see, you are totally going to laugh when I tell you this. As I was saying, I was ready for our movie marathon, but I got a call from someone..."

"Who?"

"Uh... Trisha Valentine."

"The senior girl who's on the cheerleading team?"

"That's the one," Dick said proudly. Kori glared at him. "Yeah, so, anyway, she called me and we spoke for about twenty minutes or so... One thing lead to another and she invited me to a party--"

"So you ditched me to go to a party," Kori said dryly. "Nice."

Dick frowned. Kori's comment sounded like something Raven would say. This meant that Kori was querulous and not as forgiving as she normally is.

"Kori..."

"I can't believe I waited hours for you to show up. I brought all of your favorite snacks and I got your favorite movies. I even paid Komi to leave the house just so she wouldn't bother us," Kori's voice was rising, and with each sentence she poked Dick in the chest, hard. "And I did it all just so we could hang out together! I wanted the day to be perfect, and you ruined it! You and your... your playboy ways!"

Dick was against the lockers now, and Kori wasn't done with him just yet.

"All you care about is getting girls! And you're been ditching me a lot lately... and... and it sucks! I want my best friend back! Not some man whore!"

"Oooohh!"

A crowd of teens who had stopped to watch gasped. It was quite a sight to see Kori Anders, a sweet girl, yelling at the top of her lungs.

Dick sighed deeply. "You're right. I am a man whore. Kori, I've been a jerk to you lately and I'm sorry."

Kori's mouth was agape. "You... you are?"

Dick nodded. "I made a promise to hang out with you and I broke it. Let me make it up to you."

"I don't know. Remember that last time you promised to make it up to me? We went ice skating and you let me fall on my butt chasing some girl.

"This time it's different."

"You said that last time."

"But I really, really, _really_, mean it. Don't you trust me?"

Kori had the perfect opportunity to kick Dick even lower, but decided against it. "I trust you."

"Good." Meet me by the hotdog place at the mall. After school, four o'clock," Dick gave Kori a quick kiss on the forehead. "I promise, I won't let you down this time."

"I hope not." Kori mumbled to herself.

TT

Kori released an exasperated sigh. It was 4:30 and Dick still hadn't shown up. A vein throbbed in Kori's temple. He had promised her that he would be here. Kori dropped her head on the table she was sitting at. She felt like such a fool.

"Ruff day?"

Kori looked up. Standing by her table was a boy with shaggy blonde hair and blue eyes.

''Define ruff." Kori responded dryly.

"Well I'd be happy too. Mind if I pull up a chair?"

Kori shrugged indifferently. She was far to upset to humor someone.

The boy smiled, took a seat in a backwards fashion, and folded his hands. "Judging by the look on your face, I'd say you are both upset and... disappointed."

Kori rose a brow. "That's very observant of you... Are you a stalker?"

The boy chuckled. "No, I just work here. Selling hotdogs is a good time killer."

Kori giggled.

"Ah, lookie at what we found. Your sense of humor. I'm Geoff by the way."

"Kori."

"So, Kori, do you mind if I ask you a question?"

"No, not at all."

"Why is a pretty young girl like yourself alone, on a beautiful day like this?"

"My friend ditched me, again. He promised to meet me here and he's thirty minutes late," Kori explained. "So, Geoff, do you mind if I ask _you _a question?"

"Not at all. Strangers are the best people to talk to after all, unless you're a little kid. But it always works out in the movies for the adults and t--"

"Why did you come over to my table?"

"Well, you looked like you could use a pick-me-up," Geoff answered. "I hate to see people upset."

"And that's why you came over here?"

"Yes. And the fact that you're totally hot was a bonus."

Kori giggled.

"Looks like I've done my job."

"I thought selling hotdogs was your job."

"It is, but I like to make people laugh," Geoff caught a glimpse of his watch. "Wow, would you look at the time. I do believe that a new romantic comedy will be starting soon at the movie theater. Care to join me? I'll pay for your ticket if you buy the popcorn."

"I don't know. What if my friend--"

"Shows up? Yeah, I understand. I'll see you around, Kori." Geoff left the table, leaving Kori alone.

Kori bit her lip as she mentally debated with herself. She had waited long enough for Dick, it was obvious that he wasn't going to show up, and Geoff seemed nice enough.

"Hey, Geoff! Wait up," Kori ran to go catch up with the retreating blonde. She finally caught up with him. "Does that movie offer still stand?"

Geoff smiled and nodded his head.

TT

Dick was by Vic's locker door come Tuesday morning. Yesterday he had ditched Kori, again, thanks to Trisha (who had wanted to meet with him again). Dick was trying to get one of his friends to lie for him, hoping that it could help him escape Kori's wrath, so he came to Vic for help. He couldn't ask Raven or Karen, that was a defiant no, those girls were like sister. And he couldn't ask Gar, since Gar has trouble keeping his mouth shut when needed.

"Please, Vic," pleaded Dick. "If Kori finds out that I went to go see Trisha instead of her she'll _hurt_ me. And you know how freakishly strong Kori is."

"Man, I already told you no," Vic answered. "Kori is like my little sister. And I admit, us boys got to stick together, but what you did was messed up. I ain't helping you out of this one."

"But, but...," Dick sighed. "Fine. I guess I'll just have to tell Kori the truth then."

"I'm glad you think so, because she's coming this way."

"Hey guys," Kori chirped. Dick quickly hid behind Vic. "I can see you, Dick."

"Aw man." Dick reluctantly stepped away from Vic to face Kori.

"I'll leave you two alone." Vic said, walking away.

Once they were alone, Dick prepared himself to tell Kori the truth.

"Listen, Kori, I'm sorry about--"

"You're off the hook."

"Wait, what?"

"I said, you're off the hook." Kori repeated.

"Seriously? But why?"

"As it turns out, you not showing up was a good thing," Kori explained, a dreamy smile on her face. "I met the sweetest guy. His name if Geoff and he is totally awesome."

The bell rang and students began to clear the halls.

"Come on, Dick. We're going to be late." Kori said, walking away.

Dick narrowed his eyes. "Geoff? What kind of name is Geoff?"

TT

About two weeks had passed since Kori's first meeting with Geoff, and ever since then, Dick had become very jealous.

At first it was just a small feeling, but it soon grew. It all began with the way Kori would talk about Geoff. Her face would light up and the biggest smile would come to her face. Then there were her conversations with Geoff. On one occasion Kori had actually hung up the phone on Dick just to talk with Geoff. Plus, to make matters worse, Kori had passed up a movie marathon at Dick's house to go see Geoff.

Dick couldn't take it anymore. He wanted Kori back. If he didn't act now, it was very much possible that Kori would leave him completely for Geoff.

Dick had to split them up before that happened, but he needed help. So, he went to a romantic expert.

"Go home, Dick!" Karen yelled angrily, shutting her front door.

Dick pushed the door open. "Please, Karen. I need your help. If I don't do something now I could loose Kori forever!"

"So? You don't deserve Kori's friendship after what you've done," Karen hissed, struggling to push the door close. "Besides, you always have Trisha."

"Oh to hell with Trisha! Kori is way more important!"

Karen stepped away from the door, causing Dick to fall on the floor.

"Ow..."

"Did you mean what you just said?"

"Of course I meant it," Dick answered, standing up. He brushed himself off. "Kori is my best friend. I don't want to loose her."

Karen paused to think to herself. Dick's sudden outburst was good. It was one step closer to him being Kori's boyfriend. For years Karen had been playing the meddling friend, always hoping she would be able to get Dick and Kori together. Now was her chance. If she could collaborate with Dick, then maybe he would stand a chance against Geoff.

"Alright, I'll help. But under one condition! You have to do whatever I say, when I say it."

"... fine."

"Okay, the first thing I want you to do is call up Trisha."

"Why? She's the whole reason why I'm in this mess."

"Hello, I'm the expert here," Karen snapped, pointing a finger at Dick and glaring at him. "Now shut up and do what I say!"

"Okay, don't bite my head off." Dick responded, grabbing his cell phone in the process.

TT

Kori had caught up with Geoff after he was done with work. Instead of heading out, they both decided to hang out in front of the hotdog place Geoff worked at, the way they normally did.

Currently, Kori was in a fit of laughter and Geoff had two straws stuck up his nose.

Dick spotted them easily and quickly grabbed Trisha's hand. If he followed Karen's exact instructions, then Geoff wouldn't be a problem anymore.

"S then he says--"

"Kori, is that you," Dick interrupted Geoff's sentence, strolling up to the pair with Trisha by his side. "It is you! What are you doing here?"

"I'm with my boyfriend, that's what I'm doing here." Kori uttered, rather irritated that someone was interrupting her time with Geoff.

"Wait a minute, this is Geoff, isn't it," Dick grabbed Geoff's hand and shook it. "Nice to meet you man. I'm Kori's friend, since like, forever. And this is my girlfriend Trisha."

"Hi." Trisha meekly waved, blushing a bit at the sight of Geoff.

"It's nice to meet you both." Geoff responded, looking at Trisha and smiling.

"Hey, since we're all here why don't we get to know each other." Dick suggested.

Kori eyes widened. "I don't think--"

"Sounds good." Geoff said.

And just like that, Dick had put Karen's plan into action. All Dick had to do was sit back and watch the fireworks.

TT

Dick sipped his soda happily. "I can't believe that both Geoff and Trisha like surfing. What a surprise."

"Yeah, surprise," Kori muttered. "Can we go back to our table now?"

"Just let me finish my soda," Dick had to keep himself from laughing. This was too easy. Karen's plan was working perfectly. Geoff and Trisha were bonding over their common interest, and Dick had pointed out how different Kori was from Geoff many times, just like Karen told him to do. Dick finished his soda and brushed off his hands, a smirk present on his face. "Okay, let's go."

By the time Kori and Dick returned to their table, Geoff and Trisha had gathered up their things.

"Kori, I'm glad you're back," Geoff said, some what awkwardly. "Can we talk?"

"Sure, Geoff," Kori said, moving to the side so she and Geoff had some privacy. "What is it?"

"Listen, this is hard for me to say, so I'll just say it," Geoff sighed. "I was talking with Trisha and... we bonded."

"Bonded." Kori bit her lip.

"Me and her just have so much more in common, and we're both seniors in high school..."

"Hey, don't worry about me, I get it," Kori said calmly. "Go with Trisha."

"Thanks for understanding, Kori. See you around."

"Yeah, see you."

Geoff walked away with Trisha, and Kori couldn't help but feel livid, but not because of Geoff and Trisha. Kori turned her attention towards the smiling Dick.

"What?" he asked innocently.

"I am going to hurt you." Kori growled, grabbing Dick by his shirt and pulling him forward.

"You have every right to hurt me, but please just hear me out."

Kori pushed Dick away and crossed her arms. "Talk."

"Okay, so I was totally jealous when you told me about Geoff, so I got Karen's help to break you two apart. Then I brought Trisha to the mall because she told me a lot about herself, and Karen realized she had a lot in common with Geoff, because you were talking about him all the time and I was talking about her all the time. So I brought the two together to break you two apart because I missed you! Please don't hurt me!" Dick threw himself at Kori's feet and hugged her legs.

"So... you did all this just because you missed me?" Kori asked, amazed. She couldn't help but feel flattered at the lengths Dick went to just for her.

"Yes," Dick whimpered. "Are you going to hit me now?"

"No, but under one condition."

"What?" Dick asked, standing up.

"No more ditching each other. You don't ditch me, and I don't ditch you. Deal?"

Dick smiled. "Deal."

"Good. Now give me a hug you dwarf." Kori said happily, wrapping her arms around Dick and smiling.

"Hey! I am _not _a dwarf... Gar is."

TT

**SPECIAL THANKS TOO BerryDrops, TerraBB4Eva, tennisgal456, Among The Betrayed, mysteree101, RavenSis AND featherpen13 FOR THE WONDERFUL REVIEWS, AND THANK YOU ALL FOR WAITING SO LONG FOR ME TO UPDATE. **

**GOOD NEWS, I PASSED MY REGENTS, AND MY CLASSES, SO NO SUMMER SCHOOL! WHICH MEANS MORE TIME FOR ME TO UPDATE.**

**ALSO, SORRY IF THIS CHAPTER SEEMS RUSHED, BECAUSE IT WAS.**

**PS - ONLY NINE MORE CHAPTERS LEFT UNTIL THE STORY IS OVER!**

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	12. Chapter 12

It was a lazy, boring, afternoon in the month of February. The week had rolled by quickly and it was now the weekend. Normally the weekend was a joyous experience for the students of Jump City High School. Escaping the prison that most people referred to as school for two days was a lively experience. But for this particular day it was not for a select few.

Dick, Gar, Vic, Wally and Alain were all at Dick's home, Wayne Manor. The five boys had found themselves with nothing to do this weekend, seeing as how the girls were having a girls day. No boys allowed.

The were immensely bored and were laying around the living room.

"So how come Roy couldn't come?" Vic asked, hoping that maybe a conversation would break the dull silence that filled the air.

"He's doing some chores for Ollie." Alain answered.

"What I wouldn't do to be doing chores right now." Gar mumbled.

"Hey, c'mon guys," Dick said, standing up. "We are cool guys! We are not lame! Now let's get up and do something!"

"Like what?" Wally inquired. If he was going to move it had better be for a good reason.

"Well, um...," Dick sighed and sat back down on the couch. "I got nothing."

A collective sigh filled the room.

That's when the doorbell began to ring.

"Answer the door, Vic." Dick commanded lazily.

"Answer the door, Gar." Vic ordered to his friend.

"No. Alain, you get it." Gar, mumbled, yawning afterwards. Doing nothing was making him sleepy.

"Oh for the love of," Alain rubbed his temples. "Would someone just go answer the door already!"

"I vote for, Dick." Wally said immediately.

"What? Why?"

"Your house, your door. Take responsibility."

"You can't even spell responsibility." Dick countered.

"Yes I can," Wally countered back. "R. E. S. P. O. N. S... Ability."

The banging on the door increased and the boys sighed.

"Fine, I'll go get it," Dick muttered, standing up. "Bunch of lazy good for nothing bone heads."

"Yeah we love you too!" Gar called out.

Dick grumbled under his breath and opened the door. To his surprise, Roy was on the other side. In his hands was a cardboard box. Before Dick could even get one word out, Roy walked past him, heading straight towards the living room.

"Okay," Dick chose to ignore Roy's rudeness and followed his friend into the living room.

"Hey, Roy," greeted Alain. "Come to join the party? We're having a bore-a-thon to not disturb the neighbors."

Gar chuckled. "Bore-a-thon. Nice."

"The boring party is over my friends," Roy said proudly, placing the box on the table. "You would never believe what I found while doing chores."

Roy opened the box and stepped back so his friends could gaze inside. The boys expressions were all the same - shocked. They wore wide eyes and agape mouths. Roy crossed his arms and smirked at their reactions.

"Dude..."

"These are..."

"Boobies!" Wally shouted loudly, flipping through a dirty magazine.

"Where did you find these?" Dick asked, looking further into the box.

"They were in the attic," Roy answered, a grin on his face. "They must belong to Ollie. I guess he forgot about them."

"So what do you plan on doing with them?" Alain asked, glancing up at Roy.

"Isn't it obvious? We are going to watch a dirty film!" Roy responded, taking out a DVD from the box.

"Aw sweet," Wally said happily, jumping up and down like a hyper child. "Let's do it!"

"Hold on, we can't do this." Alain told Roy.

"And why not?" came the joint response of Roy, Dick and Wally.

"Because it's wrong!"

"Yeah," agreed Vic. "I doubt Karen would like it if she knew I was gonna watch something like this."

"Ah, but that's the beauty of it," Dick said, throwing an arm around Vic's shoulder. "You see, Karen doesn't have to know. Nobody but us has to know. C'mon, Vic." Dick persuaded, handing him a DVD. "Live a little."

"Well... As long as she doesn't find out," Vic replied with a goofy grin on his face. "Okay I'm in! Boobies here I come!"

"Well you can count me out," Gar shouted. "I have a girlfriend now and I refuse to watch a porno movie."

"Oh come on, Gar," Roy exasperated. "This may be your only chance in your whole life to ever see a chick naked. Are you really gonna pass that up?"

"What do you mean by my only chance in my whole life?"

"It means you're a funny looking dork who got a girlfriend by pure luck." stated Wally.

"You're just saying that because she chose me over you."

"Alright that's enough," Dick shouted. "Now either we do this together or we don't do this at all. So who's in?"

"You already know I am." Roy replied.

"I'm in." Vic announced.

"Me too." Wally said.

"So with me that makes four," Dick pointed out, looking over at Alain and Gar. "So are you guys with us or against us?"

Gar bit his lip. "Fine, I'll do watch it."

Dick glanced at Alain. "Alain? What do you say buddy, you gonna watch it with us or what?"

Alain crossed his arms, contemplating to himself. He didn't want to let his friends down, but he felt as if this was the wrong thing to do. He couldn't stop thinking to himself that something bad would come of this. He was a teenage boy with hormones but he had to show restraint. Then again... maybe it was okay if he lost restraint for only one day.

"Okay fine," Alain announced. "But not one of us can tell a soul. Agreed?"

"Agreed." was the chorus of Dick, Wally, Roy, Vic and Gar.

"Sweet," Roy shouted excitedly. "Let's watch the tape already!"

TT

Kori, Karen, Raven, Jade and Jenn had gathered into a circle on the floor in Kori's living room. In the middle of them was a spread of junk food, everything from popcorn to gummy bears and soda.

Also, in the middle of the circle of girls was three hats with folded pieces of paper in them. One of the hats was filled with pieces of paper that said either truth, or dare. If one of the girls was to pick out a paper that read truth, then that girl would take a paper from the pink hat. The pink hat was filled with questions that involved telling the truth. If one of the girls was to pick up a dare paper, then they would go to the black hat which was filled with instructions for a dare.

So far most of the dares had been pick, leaving the black hat almost empty. Currently, it was Kori's turn.

Kori reached into the green hat that had papers that read truth and dare. She rummaged around a bit until finally picking a paper. She opened it and smiled.

"I got truth."

"Okay, so pick a paper from the pink hat." Karen said, passing the pink hat over to Kori.

Kori reached inside and pulled out a paper. She opened it and read it out loud. "Out of all the guys that you've ever kissed, who was the best kisser?"

"Oh that's a good one," Jade smirked. "I gotta hear this."

"So who is the best kisser for you, Kori?" Raven asked.

Kori put a finger to her chin, deep in thought. "I would have to say... Gar."

Jenn nearly spat out her soda. "Excuse me, but can you repeat that? I thought I heard you say Gar."

"I did say Gar."

"Wow," Jade was stunned. "When did you kiss Gar?"

"Eighth grade. We were in a play of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. I was Snow White and he was the prince."

"Yeah, and then afterwards you and Gar were really confused thinking that you two liked each other so you kissed again to make sure but as it turns out you felt nothing afterwards and laughed about it." Karen said before taking a deep breath of air.

"Okay... moving on," Kori passed the green hat to the girl next to her. "Karen, your turn."

"Okay," Karen clapped her hands in excitement. She reached her hand into the green hat and pulled out a paper that read truth. She then proceeded to pull out a paper from the pink hat. "What was the most embarrassing moment in your life? Oh that's an easy one."

"Well, Karen, what is it?" Jade inquired before sipping at her drink.

"Okay, there was this one time when Vic got a new bike in seventh grade. He wanted me to ride it with him and we kept trying to think of different ways for me to sit. I eventually just sat on that space between the handle bars, and everything was going great until some squirrel ran in front of us. Vic suddenly stopped to avoid it and I was sent flying into garbage."

Jenn began to laugh."

"Yeah yeah, laugh it up," Karen rolled her eyes. "It's your turn, Raven."

Raven sighed. "Do I have--"

"Yes you do!" shouted Kori, Karen, Jade and Jenn in union.

Raven sighed while reaching into the hat. "Fine, I'll do it. But I won't like it," Raven pulled out a paper labeled dare. She went to the black hat and pulled out another paper. "Do an impression of someone you know."

Raven smirked and the girls instantly became worried. They all hoped that Raven wouldn't chose them for her impersonation.

Raven cleared her throat and eyes the girls. "Like, ohmygod! Dickie-poo, I LOVE you so much, like we belong together. Why won't you date me? I'm way better and prettier than anyone else in this school. Fang, Cindy, Mandy, you three better do what I say or else! Kitten."

The girls had wide eyes and agape mouths. They were completely stunned and caught off guard.

A chuckle emerged from Kori's lips and she bursted into a fit of laughter. "You sounded exactly like her!"

The other girls began to laugh as well.

"That was so funny!"

"Girl, I had no idea you had that it you."

"Way better than any comedian I've ever seen."

Raven shrugged indifferently. "It wasn't that hard. All I had to do was put myself in the shoes of a little, spoiled brat that's a slut. Now, who's turn is it?"

"Mine," Jade announced, taking the green hat from Raven. She rummaged inside. She pulled out a paper labeled dare. Jade then pulled out her second paper. "For the duration of the game you are to wear a pink wig. Aw crap."

Karen snickered as she put a pink wig on top of Jade's head. The girls laughed at this.

"Okay, now it's my turn," Jenn said, picking out her paper. "Truth. Okay, let's see..." Jenn pulled out her second paper. "Out of all of your male friends, who do you find most attractive?"

"Oh that's an easy one." Karen said.

Kori nodded. "The answer is obvious."

"Yup." agreed Jade.

"Ditto." said Raven.

"Everyone knows it's Vic."

"Excuse me," Jade shook her head. "Roy is the most attractive."

"I'm going to have to correct you on that," began Kori. "The answer is clearly Dick."

"Um... guys. This is Jenn's question, not yours," Raven pointed out. She looked over at Jenn. "Alright, Jenn, hurry up and say Alain that way we can move on."

"Hey!"

"Raven!"

"I thought you said it was her decision!"

"Well you know she is going to pick Alain! He's hot."

Raven, Kori, Karen and Jade began to argue with each other over who was better: Alain, Dick, Vic, or Roy. Jenn rubbed her temples, annoyed. This was her question and her decision. They shouldn't be arguing.

"Quiet!"

Kori, Jade, Karen and Raven immediately silenced themselves after Jenn's outburst.

"You guys, this is girl day. We do not argue during girl day." Jenn scolded.

The girls muttered their apologies.

"And besides," Jenn said, a grin on her face. "Instead of knowing who I think is cuter, wouldn't you rather know why kori was so quick to pick Dick?"

The girls eyed Kori who smiled sheepishly.

"Um... it's nothing... really. He's just sorta cute... is all. I don't like him like that!" Kori shouted defensively.

"Uh-huh, sure you don't," Raven said, rolling her eyes. "Speaking of the boys, what do you think they are doing right now?"

"Who knows," Jenn replied indifferently, shrugging. "Probably getting themselves into trouble or something."

TT

"Okay, are you guys ready?" Dick asked. They had moved the boys day to his room and the door was closed.

"We're ready dude."

"Hurry up and push the button."

"Alright, alright. geez." Dick pushed the play button and sat down in his chair for his desk. Roy, Vic and Alain had already taken seats on his bed, and Wally and Gar were sitting on the floor.

The movie began to play and the boys leaned forward. A woman in a flight attendant costume appeared on screen.

"Oh man she's hot," Wally said excitedly. "Isn't she hot? Dudes, she is hot!"

"Sssh!" came the joint response of Dick, Roy, Vic, Gar, and Alain. They glared at Wally who immediately became quiet.

Ten minutes into the movie the boys began to get restless.

"Ah, nothing's happening," complained Roy. "All they are doing is talking."

"Wait a second," hushed Alain. "Something is happening."

The woman on screen began to passionately kiss the male on screen while in the airplane's bathroom.

"Oh here it comes," Dick said in anticipation. "She's gonna take her top off."

Just as the woman on the screen was about to remove her garment, the door to Dick's room opened.

"Dick, I...," Bruce glanced at the screen and then at his ward and his friends. He glared at the small group of teenage boys. "What do you think you are doing?"

"Uh..." Dick was stunned to silence.

"Alright, everyone out now," Bruce's voice was like thunder and the boys instantly obeyed his command, scared out of their minds. "I want everyone in the living room this instant!"

The boys quickly rushed off, terrified.

TT

Dick, Roy, Wally, Vic, Alain and Gar all sat on the couch, their heads hung low. Neither one of them dared to make eye contact with the men standing before them. After busting the boys watching a dirty film, Bruce had called the parents and guardians of the boys. Ollie had showed up for Roy. Barry, Wally's uncle, had also come. Steve, Gar's adoptive father, had his arms crossed. Alain's father Arthur was disappointed. The only one who couldn't show up was Vic's father who was stuck in a meeting and couldn't leave.

"Okay, who's the one at fault here?" Bruce asked, crossing his arms.

"Gar is," Roy said, glaring at the blonde teen next to him. "He forgot to lock the door."

"Hey man, don't pin this on me," Gar snapped. "We were perfectly fine being bored until you showed up with that box."

"What box?" asked Steve, glaring at Gar.

"The box Roy got from his house." Gar answered quickly, covering his head with his hands out of fear.

"You stole my porn?!" Ollie hissed.

"Ollie, how dare you leave something like that where the boy could find it." Barry scolded.

"How was I supposed to know that he would find it."

"Gentleman, I think we're avoiding the main issue at hand," said Arthur. "Clearly it's time to inform the boys about sex."

The boys eyes went wide in fear. If Arthur was talking about what they thought he was talking about, they were doomed.

"Boys," began Arthur. "I think it's time that we all sat down and have a talk."

"No!"

"Please, anything but that!"

"Not the talk! Don't give us the talk!"

"You know, what the boys did wasn't so bad." Ollie said, trying to get out of giving his adoptive son 'the talk'.

"Boys will be boys as they say." commented Bruce. He shared the same feelings as Ollie.

"They are just teenagers," added Steve. "Maybe if we made them promise never to do something like this again..."

"Yeah yeah, we promise not to do it again." came the response from all of the boys.

"And we're really sorry too!" added Vic.

"Sorry, but no dice," said Arthur. "Now, should we talk one on one or do a group discussion?"

Ollie, Barry, Bruce, Steve, Roy, Wally, Dick, Gar, Vic and Alain eyed each other nervously.

About an hour later...

The boys had just finished listening to 'the talk' and were leaving Wayne Manor with an adult present right behind them.

Steve patted Vic and Gar on the back. He had offered to take Vic home and the three were currently making their way to Steve's car. "So I guess you boys learned your lesson now, right?"

Gar and Vic were both shaking and could only nod their heads.

Behind them was Ollie, who currently had a hold on Roy's ear.

"I better not catch you with anything that belongs to me ever again."

Arthur, who was walking with a shaky Alain, glared at Ollie.

Ollie looked at him sheepishly and released his hold on Roy's ear. "Oh yeah, and stay away from my porn-I mean porn in general."

"You okay there, Wally," asked Barry in concern. "You look sick."

Wally was trembling all over. "It's gonna take weeks to burn that memory out of my brain."

Inside Wayne Manor...

Bruce patted Dick on his shoulder. "You alright?"

"No!" cried Dick abruptly, running up to his room. He passed Alfred along the way.

Alfred glanced at Bruce. "I take it Master Dick received the talk, sir."

Bruce nodded.

"Why, he had the same reaction you did when you received it." Alfred shook his head and chuckled.

TT

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	13. Chapter 13

Jenn groaned in annoyance, not at all pleased with her current situation.

Today, she was supposed to hang out with Jade. The two had planned to have a mini movie marathon about a week ago, just the two of them. It was something that Jenn had been looking forward to, she was ecstatic.

But then sudden new rained on her parade.

Jade had cancelled.

Roy had asked her to do his date to an art show. All of the big-shot company owners were going to be there. Bruce Wayne, Myan Anders, Oliver Queen... The list goes on and on. As it turns out, those business tycoons had decided to bring along their offspring and wards. Dick, Kori and Roy had all been roped into going. But Roy, who refused to go without a date, had begged Ollie if he could bring Jade along.

Ollie caved and sent Jade an invite, leaving Jenn all by herself. Well, not completely by herself...

Having nothing better to do Wally and Alain had decided to tag along to Jenn's trip to the mall.

Currently, the three of them were standing in the middle of the mall, by the fountain. Wally and Alain were in a dispute on what they should do.

Jenn frowned. She would have preferred anyone's company at the moment besides these two morons. Unfortunately for her everyone was busy. Dick, Kori, Roy and Jade were all at the art show. Karen and Raven were babysitting. Gar was volunteering at the animal shelter, and Vic was at home sick.

"Figures I get stuck with twinkle toes and princess." Jenn muttered, crossing her arms.

"Did you just say something?" Wally asked. He could have sworn her heard her call him a name.

"Did you just call me princess?" Alain inquired. Jenn could tell by the tone of his voice that he didn't like her choice of word.

She sighed, frustrated. "Okay you two, I am tired of this bullshit. Now either we can go see a movie, or we can go to the food court. Just hurry up and decide. I'm not going to stand here all day."

Someone chuckled. "Still as feisty as ever. And just as bossy too."

Jenn blinked in surprise. That voice sounded so familiar. She spun around, a look of surprise on her face. "Ethan?"

"In the flesh," said a tall, handsome boy with slick black hair and brown eyes. He was wearing blue slacks, a white button-up shirt, and a black tie. "Haven't seen you in awhile, Jenn. How's it going?"

"Dandy," replied Jenn, voice leaking with sarcasm. She smirked. "I like the uniform."

"Now is that an insult of a compliment? I could never tell with you."

Jenn giggled.

Wally stepped in between the two, looking at Ethan, who was bigger than him with a lot more tone, and then at Jenn. He jabbed a thumb at Ethan's direction. "Who's he?"

"Don't point, it's rude," Jenn scolded, slapping Wally's hand. "Wally, this is Ethan. Ethan is an old friend of mines and Jade's. He and Jade actually went out for awhile back in middle school."

"Nice to meet you." Alain greeted with a small wave.

"What's with the uniform? You some kind of nerd?" Wally inquired, raising a brow. Alain yanked him away by the collar of his shirt, causing him to whimper in pain.

"I go to Jump City Academy. Uniform is required."

"Isn't that school private?" Alain asked, his arm around Wally's neck in a headlock. He was trying to get the red-head to stay still.

"Yeah. My parents are pretty strict when it comes to education," Ethan glanced at Jenn. "So, how come you're not with Jade right now? You two are usually together, like, all the time."

"She's with her new boyfriend." Jenn clapped a hand over her mouth, noticing her slip up.

"Jade moved on? Wow, that's um... great. I'm really happy for her."

Jenn decided to change the subject before the situation got any more awkward than it already was. "Hey, Ethan, what are you doing in the mall by yourself?"

"Oh, I was just gonna go check out the new skate boards. Maybe grab something to eat too," Ethan smiled at Jenn. "Wanna come with?"

"Right now?"

"Sure, why not?"

"Well... okay."

"What about us," Wally cried at the retreating forms of Ethan and Jenn. Wally narrowed his eyes and turned to Alain. "What just happened?"

"I believe we've just been ditched."

TT

It was a brand new school day and Jenn was by Jade's locker. Jade was telling Jenn about the art show she went to with Roy.

"I really wish you could have come," Jade said. "The whole art thing is really more of your scene than it is mine. I think you would have enjoyed yourself."

"I'm sure I would have but... I had a pretty good time yesterday."

"Oh really, what did you do?"

"I went to the mall with Wally and Alain. Then I saw... Ethan and we hung out." Jenn had rushed through the last part of her sentence and abruptly walked off.

Jade blinked a few times in surprise before following her. "Excuse me but did you say Ethan? As in Ethan from middle school and my ex-boyfriend Ethan?"

"Yeah," Jenn replied, feeling guilty. "That Ethan."

"Wow," Jade tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ears. "So, um... how is he?"

"He's great. Still pretty lazy though."

"Oh, speaking of lazy, Roy is staying in tonight so you wanna hang out? We can have our movie marathon."

"That sounds great but..."

"But what," Jade pressed, raising a brow. "Did you already make plans?"

Jenn looked away and nodded. "I have a date."

"Jenn, that's so cool. With who?"

"Uh... Ethan," Jenn answered nervously, not knowing what kind of reaction Jade may have. After all this was her ex-boyfriend they were talking about. She searched Jade's face for any signs of anger. "If you're not okay with this I can always cancel."

"No, no," Jade shook her head and gave her friend a reassuring smile. "It's okay, really. I'm okay with this."

TT

"I am _not_ okay with this!" shouted Jade, furiously. Her fist were clenched and she was glaring at the person in front of her.

"Well you said that you were!" Jenn screamed back, her anger flaring. She was glaring at Jade with just as much wrath.

"Well I lied!"

Roy, Wally and Alain watched the scene before them nervously. What started out as a normal day soon turned rotten.

Roy, Wally, Alain, Jade and Jenn were all hanging out at the mall. They had all decided to go to the food court and eat after Wally kept complaining about how hungry he was. At first everything was peaceful and a lively conversation was going around, but then Alain had asked how things between Jenn and Ethan were going. He was curious since the two had been dating for some time now.

That one question sparked an argument between Jenn and Jade.

Of course Jenn had answered the question, but after she did Jade had mumbled something under her breath. The two girls were sitting next to each other so Jenn had heard what Jade said, and she did not like what she heard. Provoked, Jenn had insulted Jade, which then lead to Jade insulting Jenn and so on and so forth.

"Why are you making such a big deal about this! You have a boyfriend!"

"I know that! But best friends don't date their best friend's ex-boyfriend!"

"Yeah, well, maybe I don't want to be your best friend anymore!"

The others gasped. This wasn't going to end well.

Roy quickly stood up. "Girls, maybe we should just calm down and talk about this."

"No! If Jenn doesn't want to be my friend than fine," Jade snapped, crossing her arms. "Who needs her? Not me, that's for sure!"

"Well I don't need you either!" Jenn bit back, grabbing her things and leaving.

Jade sniffled and blinked her eyes, trying to prevent any tears from falling. She grabbed her things and walked away. "I have to go."

"B-but, Jade..." Roy sighed, not knowing what to say to make her stop. Before he knew it Jade was gone.

"This isn't goo." Wally commented.

"Wow, did you figure that all by yourself Sherlock or did someone hand you a clue?" Alain asked dryly.

Roy sighed. "Worst day at the mall ever."

TT

Mrs. Johnson was the guidance consular of Jump City High School, and currently she had three boys in her office. Three very confused boys who hadn't a clue on how to solve their problem. They were having some trouble with two friends of theirs. Ever since that day at the mall Jenn and Jade hadn't spoken to each other. They avoided each other and wouldn't even make eye contact. It had been a week since their feud began and the boys were sick of their argument.

Roy, Wally and Alain wouldn't tolerate anymore, their only hope was if Mrs. Johnson could help them.

Mrs. Johnson folded her hands. "Have you boys even talked with the girls?"

"We did... and it didn't end well," Roy answered, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "When we talked to Jade she... hurt us."

Mrs. Johnson rose a brow. "Hurt _how_?"

"She kicked our as--butts." Wally caught himself at the last second. He didn't want to curse in front of an adult. Especially one that was in staff at his high school and could easily call his uncle Barry and aunt Iris.

"What about when you talked to Jenn?"

"Just as bad." Alain answered. He left it at that, not wanting to embarrass himself, or Roy and Wally, anymore than they already were. Getting beat up by girls was an immense dent to their egos.

"Before I can help you boys, I need to know why the girls were fighting."

"It's all because of that jackas--"

Alain clapped a hand over Roy's mouth. "It all started when Jenn began dating an old friend, and ex-boyfriend of Jade's. His name is Ethan."

"And there wasn't any hostility between them before?"

Wally shrugged. "Not that we know of."

"Hmm...," Mrs. Johnson nodded her head. "Okay, here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to talk with the girls and find out what they are feeling. I think there might be more to this fight than Ethan."

TT

Jade and Jenn sat in Mrs. Johnson's office. Their arms were crossed and they had frowns on their faces. Mrs. Johnson looked at each girl and noticed how they weren't even looking at each other. The boys were right when they said the girls were avoiding each other.

"I'm guessing you two are wondering why you're here." Mrs. Johnson said softly, taking off her glasses. It was time to begin the session, whether they liked it or not.

Jade scoffed. "Five bucks says someone snitched. It was Roy wasn't it?"

"Someone did tell me," Mrs. Johnson admitted. "But I won't tell you who."

Jade and Jenn glanced at each other, then huffed and looked away.

"Why don't we begin with you, Jenn," suggested Mrs. Johnson. "Tell me what's bothering you."

"Jade is what's bothering me," Jenn answered quickly. "She said she was okay with me and Ethan, but she lied."

Mrs. Johnson turned her attention towards Jade. "Jade, why does it bother you that Ethan and Jenn are together?"

"Because he used to be my boyfriend." Jade pointed out.

"But he isn't anymore, now is he? And you have a new boyfriend now."

"True... but still! She shouldn't have done that."

"You said you were okay with it!"

"Again, I lied! Gosh, open up your ears, Jenn."

"Jade, why are you really bothered by Jenn dating Ethan?" Mrs. Johnson asked softly, putting a stop to the girl's fighting.

"Well, because...," Jade sighed. "I don't know. I guess I felt neglected when Jenn started blowing me off to hang out with Ethan."

"Jenn, have you also been feeling neglected?"

"No... maybe," Jenn sighed. "Yes."

"And why is that?"

"Because it used to be me and Jade. Now all of a sudden Roy comes in the picture and it's like I don't even have my best friend anymore."

"That's not true," Jade protested. "You always have me."

"You weren't there for our movie marathon." Jenn reminded.

"Okay, I know that. But Roy needed me."

"Oh please. Roy could have easily gone by himself and met up with Dick and Kori. Or he could have asked someone else, like Karen or Raven. I was looking forward to us having that movie marathon because it would be like the good old days, when it was just us."

"I didn't know you felt that way. Jenn, I'm so sorry."

"I guess I owe you an apology too, since I sorta did the same thing to you with Ethan. I'm sorry, Jade."

"About Ethan, I'm totally okay with you dating him."

"You are?"

Jade nodded.

"You know that's really not necessary. Ethan and I broke up. It felt too weird being a couple."

"Aw, but you two look so cute together," Jade snapped her fingers. "To make you feel better, I suggest we go to the mall. Just the two of us."

"Okay, but answer me one question."

"What?"

Jenn smiled. "Best friends again?"

Jade wrapped Jenn in a hug that could rival Kori's. "Of course."

"Okay, enough with the hugging," Jenn choked out. She was thankful when Jade finally let go. "C'mon, it's still our lunch period. I'll buy you a soda."

The two girls left without even looking back at Mrs. Johnson. Mrs. Johnson sighed and pulled out a chocolate bar from her top draw. Some times her job could be really easy.

TT

**SPECIAL THANKS TOO cookiesruletheworld, BerryDrops, Trimacle, Affinitive, featherpen13, superanimated, tennisgal456, Night of the Stars, mysteree101, RavenSis, toonfan820, clarkLover1 AND sweetnsxy FOR THE GREAT REVIEWS. IT REALLY MEANS A LOT TO ME, YOU ARE ALL SO VERY AWESOME!**

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	14. Chapter 14

Dick, Kori, Karen, Vic and Raven all looked extremely bored as they listened to Gar rant on and one about Jillian.

Gar and Jillian had been dating for a little bit over two months already, and Gar was head over heels for the girl. He found everything about Jillian to be perfect. Her sparkling green eyes, her long blonde hair, her intelligence and even her love for books. Gar claimed that her love of books made her even more dazzling.

Raven looked at him as if he had grown a second head. "I read books all the time, I _love_ books, and you always tease me about how that makes me a nerd."

"Yeah, but Jillian is just so hot."

Raven slapped Gar's head after he said that.

"Now come on, Raven, no hitting," Vic said. "Gar is a very lucky guy to have snagged a girl like Jillian. I mean, when we first entered high school we all thought he would get with some fat chick. Now look at him. Our little man is growing up."

"I'm still shocked that it even happened." Karen said.

"I know," began Dick. "This is a bigger mystery than how many licks it takes to get to a tootsie pop. The world will never know."

"You guys can poke fun all you want, I don't care. I'm just too happy."

"So things are getting serious between you and Jillian huh, Gar?" Kori asked.

Gar nodded. "Yeah, it's getting pretty serious. But it's all good. Things are so good between Jillian and I, I don't think anything can ruin us."

TT

"My parents want to meet you." Jillian said calmly.

Gar blinked. "I'm sorry, but can you repeat that?"

"My parents want to meet you."

"Yeah... that's what I thought you said." Gar bit his lip to stop himself from screaming in pure terror. He didn't want to meet Jillian's parents, he wasn't ready.

Jillian could tell by the look on Gar's face that he was nervous. She reached over and took his hands in her own. "Don't be nervous, Gar. You'll be fine. Sure my parents are really strict and my father is extremely over protective... but you're a great guy and I care about you so much."

Gar chuckled sheepishly. "You're right. It's just your parents, no big deal."

"I'll call you later with the details okay," Jillian stood up and grabbed her things. She leaned over to Gar and pecked him on the lips. "See you later."

"Later...," Gar watched as Jillian walked out the door. Once she was gone he sighed deeply. "I am so doomed."

TT

Gar looked at his reflection in the mirror and absently fiddled with his tie. He ran a hand over his hair, making sure no strands escaped and that it was all pushed back. Gar's usually messy hair was combed and neat. He had traded up his usual apparel of shorts, tee and sneakers for a new, more classy look. He had on a black suit, a black tie, and a pair of black shoes, as well as a white button-up shirt.

"Well, don't you look handsome."

Gar turned around and smiled at Rita. "Do you really think so?"

"Of course I do," Rita said kindly, brushing off Gar's shoulders and fixing the jacket he was wearing. "Are you nervous?"

"A little. Are you sure I look okay?"

"You look fine. And don't fidget so much."

"I can't help it," Gar whined. I hate wearing a suit. It makes me feel all weird and itchy."

"I'm sure that's just the nerves speaking," Rita said, kissing his forehead. "Try not to worry so much."

Gar nodded his head and smiled.

"Now hurry downstairs. Vic and Dick are tired of waiting."

Gar gave Rita a quick hug before rushing downstairs. Since Steve was stuck at work Vic had agreed to drive him to Jillian's house. Dick had decided to tag along and offer support. Once Gar arrived downstairs the three boys took their leave. The car ride was quiet except for the low hum of the radio. Gar decided to make conversation..

"Got any advice?" he asked suddenly, catching his two friends off guard.

"Advice? You mean for meeting parents?" Vic questioned, brow raised.

"Yeah," Gar nodded. "Did you do anything in particular when you met Karen's parents, Vic?"

"You mean besides eating all of Mrs. Beecher's cookies?"

"I'm not talking about when we were kids. I'm talking about when you and Karen started dating. Was it hard for you facing them as Karen's boyfriend?"

"Honestly... no, it wasn't. I mean, we were already acquainted with each other. Her parents had a few choice words for me now that we were dating, but other than that everything was cool."

Gar slouched in his seat. Vic wasn't much help. With hopeful eyes he turned his head to the right. "What about you, Dick? Any advice about meeting a girl's parents?"

"I don't know what to say, Gar," Dick confessed. "I've never dated a girl long enough to meet her folks."

Gar sighed. Dick was an even bigger less of help than Vic was. Gar leaned back and sighed. Perhaps he was worrying too much, Maybe Jillian's parents would like him. Gar decided to think positive. The negative thoughts were overwhelming him and that was the last thing he needed. Besides, how bad could it be?

TT

Kori patted Gar's back in a comforting gesture. A distraught Gar was surrounded by Kori, Vic, Dick, Karen and Raven. He wasn't feeling too good thanks to yesterday's dinner party.

At first the dinner party was going well in Gar's favor. Jillian's mother found him to be a charming young man, and her father thought he was a decent guy. But as the time past and the conversation went to personal information, Gar found himself butting heads with Jillian's father.

Despite Jillian being a vegan, her father wasn't. At all. Despite being a business man he was also a hunter. His views on an animal's life clashed with Gar's belief. Gar loved animals, and to hear gruesome slaughter stories wasn't appealing to him. Gar had let his anger get the best of him and he called Jillian's father an animal killer, as well as a few others words that he didn't say out loud.

Then there was the incident with her mother...

After the whole ordeal with Jillian's father, Gar had started feeling nervous again. When Gar gets nervous he also gets clumsy. And so, Gar accidently spilled a glass of wine on Jillian's mother. It was by accident. Gar was passing her the bread rolls and his arm had knocked over her glass of wine in the process. Jillian's mother was furious that her new gown was ruined and had glared at Gar for the rest of the evening.

"Her parents hate me." Gar murmured.

"Hey man, cheer up," Vic said, sitting by Gar. "I'm sure they don't hate you."

"Yeah, they probably just find you to be really annoying, like we do." Raven commented. Karen elbowed her in the ribs.

"Don't listen to Negative Nancy here," Karen told Gar. "You may have messed up, but when you put that aside they are going to see a great guy and love you."

"You really think so?" Gar asked hopefully. Karen nodded at him and a smile formed on his lips.

That's when the doorbell rang.

Gar stood up and walked over to the door. When he opened it he was pleasantly surprised to see Jillian standing on the other side.

"Jillian, I'm so glad you're here...," Gar frowned when he caught sight of the expression on Jillian's face. "Is something wrong?"

"Gar... we need to talk," Jillian caught sight of Gar's friends. "In private."

"Sure thing, Jillian," Gar said, stepping outside and closing the door behind him. He sat down on the front porch besides Jillian. "What is it that you want to talk about?"

Jillian fiddled with her fingers, her eyes facing the ground. "... us."

Gar lowered his head. "I have a feeling that you have bad news."

Jillian's eyes began to tear up and she nodded her head. "My parents... don't want me to see you any more."

Gar bit his lip. "I figured as much."

"Gar... I am _so_ sorry," Jillian said softly, turning to look at him. She took his hand in her own. "I wish there was something that I could do, but my parents are so strict and--"

"You don't have to explain. I understand," Gar wiped her tears gently and cupped her cheek. He smiled at her. "It was fun while it lasted."

Jillian placed her hand over the one that was on her cheek, smiling back at him. "It was... I'm going to miss you a lot."

"I'll miss you too," Gar replied softly, leaning in to kiss Jillian one final time. While he was kissing Jillian, Gar wondered how one kiss could feel _so _good, yet be incredibly sad at the same time.

Eventually Gar and Jillian had to pull away for air, and once they did Gar wrapped his arms around Jillian in a tight hug. He didn't want to ever let go but he knew he had to. "Take care, Jillian."

"You too," Jillian said softly, pulling away. She kissed Gar's cheek. "Bye, Gar."

Jillian left Gar's side and went inside the car waiting for her. Gar sighed deeply, his heart feeling heavy. He turned towards his front door and opened it, only to have Vic, Karen, Kori and Dick spill at his feet.

"We weren't eavesdropping." Dick said quickly, standing up and helping Kori to her feet.

Raven came to the door and crossed her arms. "They were eavesdropping."

Dick glared at Raven. "Snitch."

"Gar, are you okay?" Kori asked, stepping up to her friend.

Gar looked down. "I really liked her..."

Kori quickly wrapped Gar in a hug.

"Hey, Gar, I know what will cheer you up," Dick began. "How about you and I go to the mall. I'll help you get a new girlfriend. How does that sound?"

"Thanks, but no thanks. I'd rather be alone right now."

"You sure, Gar?" Karen asked, worried.

"Yeah, I'm sure."

"Okay then... if you need anything just call." Vic said.

Vic, Dick, Karen, Kori and Raven took their leave and Gar silently walked inside his home, closing the door behind him. Now that he was alone he allowed a single tear to roll down his cheek.

TT

**SPECIAL THANKS TOO clarkLover1, Ace.04, superanimated/AmongTheBetra..., MathGeek1o1, Daniella, tennisgal456, toonfan820, BerryDrops, cookiegurl15, mysteree101, featherpen13, cookiesruletheworld AND RavenSis FOR THE AWESOME REVIEWS. YOU GUYS ARE GREAT. THANKS A TON.**

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	15. Chapter 15

The month of April had finally arrived, and with it so did spring break. Something the teenagers of Jump City High School were happy about. A whole week free from teachers and homework could only mean one thing, complete bliss.

Most of the teenagers of Jump City had made plans on how they would be spending their spring break. Some of them would visit relatives, some of them would go on a road trip, and then their was a few who planned to hit the beach. A certain group however had different plans. Vic, Karen, Dick, Kori, Raven and Gar had all decided to go camping.

As of right now the six teens were already setting up camp at their chosen location. They had made sure, or rather Karen did since she was the map holder, to pick a spot that was close by the lake. Currently, the small group had made it to their location and was pitching up tents and gathering firewood for the night.

The six friends each had their reasons for wanting to go on a camping trip. For Karen and Vic it was simple, they wanted an escape from the city. The great outdoors was just what they were looking for.

Gar's reason was different from Vic and Karen's. The blonde haired boy merely wanted a distraction. He was still mourning his loss of Jillian, and was hoping that this camping trip could lift his spirits.

Raven, too, had a different reason. For about a week now her parents had been arguing uncontrollably. They were always shouting at each other for reasons Raven couldn't understand. Some time away from home was just what she needed. The peace and quiet of the surrounding forest would surely help clear her head.

As for Kori, her reason for coming was a last minute decision. Her family had planned to go away for spring break, but business came up and her parents had to leave Jump City, _again_. Now she could have hung out with her sister, but... her sister was her _sister_. Knowing Komi she would have made her spring break miserable. So, Kori chose to come along with her friends who she considered to be her family.

Dick's reason for wanting to go camping was a simple one. The ebony haired boy just wanted some sleep. That's right, _sleep. _For about two weeks now Bruce had been dragging him to every social gathering in Jump City. There was so many that Dick had lost count. And it was all an excuse so Bruce could 'accidently'run into Diana Prince, a former model who had the body shape of an amazon and the looks of an angel. Bruce's romance escapades were cutting into Dick's sleeping time, so the teenage boy hoped he would be able to catch up on his sleeping during this camping trip.

Karen took in a fresh breath of air and smiled. Currently she was enjoying the scenery before her. Before her very eyes was a vast late, and behind the lake were numerous trees. Turning around Karen saw her friends who had just finished putting up the tents. Behind them Gar emerged from the woods, cradling a stack of wood that would be used later on tonight. The blonde teen got in the middle of their campsite and dropped the wood into a pile.

Gar sat down, a rather bored and sad expression on his face. "My job is done."

"And the tents are all pitched up," Vic said proudly, dusting off his hands. He glanced at his mopey friend. "What's wrong, Gar?"

Gar sighed. "Nothing..."

"Since we're done I'll take this opportunity to read." Raven announced in her regular monotone. She sat down beside the tent her and Kori had pitched up and took out a book from her bag. She immediately began to read.

Dick stretched his limbs, a long yawn escaping his lips. He fell flat on his back. "Wake me when it's time to eat..."

Kori followed the others example and sat down. She removed her iPod from her pocket and put on the ear-plugs.

Karen and Vic glanced at each other, and then at their friends. Gar was staring off into space, Raven was deeply involved with her book, Kori was bobbing her head to the music and Dick was snoring lightly.

Vic looked over at his girlfriend. "Should we...?"

"Oh yeah." Karen nodded her head.

Vic grinned and stepped towards his four friends. He walked behind each of them, taking little action to grab their attention. First he slapped Gar behind his head.

"Ow!" Gar rubbed his head, eyes squeezed shut from the pain.

Then he snatched Raven's book from her unsuspecting fingers.

"What the hell?!" Raven glared daggers at Vic.

Vic then grabbed Kori's iPod away from her.

"Hey!" Kori looked up at Vic, frowning.

Then he kicked Dick.

"Huh--Wha?" Dick sat up, looking confused, wiping away a small speck of drool.

Vic smiled and stood behind Karen. "They're all yours."

"Thank you," Karen narrowed her eyes at the small group of four in front of her and crossed her arms. "Now, what the hell is wrong with you all?!"

"What's wrong with us? What's wrong with you two! Vic freakin' hit me!"

"And he stole my book!"

"And took my iPod!"

"And he interrupted my nap time!"

Karen rolled her eyes. "Guys, we are on spring break. We are on a camping trip. We are supposed to have fun! Not sit around and do nothing!"

The four teens scowled and crossed their arms, eyes downcast. Karen did bring up a good point.

"Come on, it's still day light," said Karen. "Why don't we all go for a swim? It'll be fun."

Dick groaned. He wasn't in the mood for anything that required action. "Do we have to?"

"Yes we have to!"

A collective groan was heard from Dick, Kori, Gar and Raven.

TT

A loud splash was heard along with a shriek. Karen quickly swam away from Vic who had engaged her in a splash war. Not that far from them was Gar, who was back stroking. He passed by Raven, who was using one of the two doughnuts they had brought with them, while talking to Kori.

Raven looked over Kori's shoulder and scoffed. "Check out Dick. I think he's about ready to fall asleep."

Kori turned her head to the side and caught sight of her oldest friend. Dick had his arms linked to the second doughnut they had brought, his eyes weary. Every few minutes or so his eyes would close and he would sink, only to reappear out of the water with wide eyes, which would then become weary.

"I think Dick needs a pick me up."

"Agree. You go and talk to him," Raven said before swimming away. "Hey, Gar! Let's race!"

Kori quickly swam over to Dick, only to find him just about ready to fall asleep again. She giggled. "Wake up sleepy head. This is not the place for a cat nap," Kori linked an arm around the doughnut to help keep herself afloat. She flicked Dick on the forehead. "What's up little man."

Normally Kori wasn't one to call Dick such names that concerned his height, but she was desperate to capture his attention.

Dick yawned and flicked her back. "Don't make fun of my height Jolly the green giant."

"You're lucky I'm not a violent person."

"You could have fooled me. Remember when you gave me that bruise on my arm, back in fifth grade?"

"That was an accident. Besides, it was a victory tap," Kori smiled at him. "So talk to me. What's up?"

"What do you want to know?"

"Anything, doesn't matter," Dick remained silent and Kori sighed. "Okay... um... Why are you so tired?"

"Bruce has been dragging me to a whole bunch of social crap."

"Why didn't he just leave you at home?"

"I don't know. Something about me having to make appearances."

"All in the name of the business," Kori murmured. She eyed Dick sadly. "It gets to be frustrating, doesn't it?"

"Yeah... But at least we have each other." Dick said softly, taking Kori's hand in his own. He smiled gently at her.

It was such a tender moment the two were sharing. And before they even realized it, they began to close the gap between them...

That is until they were hit with a splash of water by Vic and Karen. The peaceful silence was ruined along with the moment as Raven yelled at Gar for some reason unknown to the others.

Dick sighed. "We have each other... and we also have our super annoying friends," Dick shouted, glaring at the others. "Who are so dead now!"

Dick swam away, trying to catch the others. Kori pushed her wet bangs away from her eyes and took a moment to regain her composure. She wasn't sure what just happened right now, but she did know one thing. It was weird. _Extremely _weird.

"Kori, get your butt over here," called out Karen. "You're missing out on all of the fun!"

Kori pushed what happened only a few moments ago to the farthest part of her mind, hoping to forget all about it. She swam towards Karen and Raven so she could join them in attacking the boys.

TT

Gar, Vic, Karen, Raven, Dick and Kori all had gathered around a small camp fire, making a circle. It was evening time now, and the sky was currently a mixture of colors. Such colors as purple, pink and orange adorned the sky.

The small group of six had already started making dinner. Well, not really. Their food supply consisted of hotdogs, marshmallows, smores, soda and a assortment of chips.

"I'm not usually the one to go for a goo-ey snack," Raven said before biting into a smore. "But smores are just _so _good."

"Best type of camp food there is." said Karen, blowing at a marshmallow.

Gar chuckled. "Raven said goo-ey."

"Um, Dick," Kori tapped the ebony haired boy next to her. "You're burning your hotdog."

Dick jolted to an awake position, looking down at the smoked frank. "Crap!"

The others all laughed at Dick's mishap.

"Hey," Vic interrupted the laughter, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Anyone wanna hear a scary story?"

The others all nodded their head enthusiastically.

Vic smirked and pulled out a flashlight, shining it just below his chin and giving his face a glow. "Many years ago, on a night such as this..."

And so began Vic's gruesome tale of a killer man with a hook for a hand. His story was about a hook man who hunted down teenagers from Jump City High School, getting them when they least expected it. His tale had Karen at the edge of her seat. Gar was captured by the tale, his eyes wide and mouth agape. Dick was listening, becoming a little jumpy when Vic would speak of a murder by the hook man. Kori was clutching Dick's arm, eyes wide and filled with fear. As for Raven, the ebony haired girl looked rather bored.

"... and they all thought that the hook man was dead. But they were wrong. For he was still alive! And how do I know this? I know because from the water arose a bloody hook. The hook man still walks amongst us, wanting revenge against the teenagers that threw his body in the lake."

Karen, Gar, Dick and Kori all looked terrified by the tale. Vic smiled a smug smile, glad to have gotten such a reaction.

Raven scoffed and blew a loose strand of her hair away from her face. "That story was full of shit."

Vic narrowed his eyes at the short girl. "Was not."

"Was too," Raven insisted. "You totally ripped off most of your story from I Know What You Did Last Summer."

"You know, come to think of it...," Karen looked at the others. "Raven brings up a good point. That did sound an awful lot like--"

"Okay, so I ripped off most of the story. Bid deal. I had you all scared shitless."

Gar scoffed. "Did not."

"Did too!"

"Okay, enough you two," Kori intervened. Kori sighed and looked up at the sky. The sky had already turned black. "It's late. We should probably turn in for the night."

"Kori's right," said Karen, taking control of the situation. Not only did she liked being in charge, but she also had a plan up her sleeve. "Now we got three tents, and six people. So two people in each tent." Karen quickly linked an arm with Raven. "Dibs on Raven!"

"Dibs on Gar!" Vic said quickly, throwing an arm over Gar's shoulders.

"Cool. So, Kori, you share with Dick," Karen smiled innocently and walked away to the blue tent with Raven by her side. "Sleep tight everyone!"

Raven rose a brow at Karen, a small smirk on her face. "That was a dirty trick."

Karen giggled before entering the tent. "I know."

"Night dude and dudettes." Gar said before entering the red tent with Vic.

Kori stood frozen by Dick. An awkward silence had settled between them.

"You know... I can sleep outside." Kori offered, breaking the silence.

"Don't be an idiot. Kori. You can sleep in the tent with me." Dick said, taking her hand and pulling her towards the green tent.

Kori gulped nervously.

TT

It was deep into the night, and Kori was wide awake. She had scooted off as far away as possible from Dick, staring up at the top of the tent in deep thought.

Kori didn't know why, but this whole situation was horribly awkward. She couldn't for the life of her figure out why. This wasn't the first time she had slept in a tent with Dick. Back when they were in middle school, they all used to camp outside in Gar's backyard. They had shared a tent then. So why was now so different?

Kori turned over so she could face Dick. He looked so peaceful and relaxed while he slept. His hair was a mess and flopped down on to his face. Kori swallowed down a laugh. Dick usually had his hair gelled into spikes, she had to admit it was rather cute to see him without the hair product.

Kori blinked in surprise, realizing she had just thought Dick to be cute. Kori wasn't going to lie, she had always believed Dick to be cute, but thinking about it now felt weird.

The red haired girl eyed Dick nervously, as if he could hear her thoughts. Kori looked away, but quickly turned back to look at him, her attention focused on his features. It never really occurred to her before, but Dick was growing. He was becoming stronger, gaining more muscle. Probably from football she thought.

She had never realized how much he had changed, up until now he had always just been Dick, her best friend. But now, there was something else there. He was still Dick Grayson, her best friend, but there was more to it than that. She just didn't know what.

Kori found herself staring at his closed eyes. She rather liked the absence of his sunglasses. She had a suspicion that he slept with his shades on, it was good to know that he didn't. A part of her wished that he would wake up, just so she could get a peek at his eyes. But then she thought that would make the situation even more awkward, because then he would catch her staring at him. Kori didn't want that, she knew she wouldn't be able to make up an excuse. She was a horrible liar.

But even so, she still wished he would open his eyes. It had been such a long time since she last saw them. He always kept his sunglasses on. Everyday he would wear those black shades. It all started in elementary school. Dick had started to wear sunglasses on a day to day basis, but back then he would take them off and go days without wearing them. Then come middle school he started to wear them much more often. It wasn't long until he started wearing them everyday.

He wore them so much that Gar had once forgotten the color of his eyes, to which Dick had to answer him with a simple response, blue. Kori had corrected him with a more detailed response and told Gar they were a sapphire blue. They would sparkle in the daylight, and take on a darker hue at night.

The others had looked at Kori oddly after she said that. Then Gar and Vic started to sing "Dick and Kori sitting in a tree."

That's when Kori's eyes focused on Dick's lips. She recalled their moment in the lake and blushed. For a moment there it seemed as if they were about to kiss. Kori silently scoffed. Dick was her best friend, they couldn't kiss. It was a misunderstanding, that's all. He wasn't leaning in to kiss her, and she wasn't leaning in to kiss him.

Or was she?

Upon asking herself that question Kori felt herself blush. All of her attention was focused on Dick's lips now. Did she want to kiss him?

Looking at his lips she felt an urge to do so.

Kori shifted her position, her face hovering over Dick's. She leaned in but stopped.

She couldn't do this. This was wrong. This was Dick for crying out loud. Her oldest friend, her _first_ friend and her _best friend_. She couldn't kiss him. That would be like breaking a law. Besides, it wouldn't be fair to steal a kiss from him while he was sleeping just to satisfy a silly temptation.

Was it just a silly temptation?

Kori decided not to dwell anymore about the topic and laid back down, turning over so she wasn't facing Dick. It was wrong to have such thoughts and she didn't want to think about it any longer. She would probably feel much more level headed once she got some sleep.

Once she was comfortable Kori closed her eyes, but her eyes quickly widened when she felt something cuddle up against her. Kori turned her head to the side and noticed that it was Dick. His chest was pushed against her back, and his arm was draped over her waist, holding her as if she was some teddy bear.

For a moment or so Kori felt as if she couldn't breath. Dick was spooning her in his sleep.

Part of her wanted to slap the life out of him and call him a pervert, but Kori quickly dismissed that idea. Dick was tired and sleeping, she didn't want to wake him. Besides, she kind of liked it.

Kori smiled and closed her eyes.

TT

Kori's eye fluttered open and she yawned, stretching. She looked around herself, noticing that she was alone in the tent. Kori quickly made her way out of the tent, hoping to find her missing friend. When she stepped out she found what she was looking for, along with something much more.

Dick was wide awake, his back turned to her as he watched the sunrise.

Kori stepped closer to him. "Dick?"

He turned to her and smiled. "Morning, Kori."

Kori smiled softly at him. She didn't know if he was aware or not, but his face lacked the sunglasses. And just like Kori had explained before when they were younger, his eyes were a sapphire blue that sparkled in the day light.

And it was at that moment that Kori realized she had romantic feelings for Dick.

TT

**AND THAT'S WHEN KORI OFFICIALLY GAINED FEELINGS FOR DICK THAT WENT PAST FRIENDSHIP.**

**SPECIAL THANKS TOO BerryDrops, Koriand'r Grayson, Ace.04, MathGeek1o1, Trimacle, Daniella, featherpen13, mysteree101, RavenSis, cookiesruletheworld, Dancing-StarFrenzy, tennisgal456, ravencherithgirl AND TerraBB4Eva FOR THE WONDERFUL REVIEWS! YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST! I HOPED YOU ALL ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER.**

**FIVE CHAPTERS LEFT UNTIL THE END!**

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	16. Chapter 16

"Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap!" Wally muttered under his breath as he ran down the street as fast as he could. He had overslept and was late to school, which was definitely not goo since he had Mr. Immortus first period. This was the punishment he gets for staying up late watching television.

Wally picked up the pace, and almost smiled when his school came into view. He smirked to himself as he put his track skills to good use and ran faster, dashing through the front doors and down the hall. He was late to class, but maybe if he got there soon Mr. Immortus would be lenient towards him. Wally scoffed. Fat chance. Mr. Immortus was never lenient towards anyone. He was a grouchy old man.

Rounding the corner, Wally bumped into someone. That someone just so happened to be a girl. Both him and the girl were sent tumbling towards the floor, papers and books falling to the floor. Wally blinked open his eyes and took in the sight of the girl.

She looked to be about his age and was tall and pretty. She had long blonde hair cascading down her shoulders, and violet eyes. She picked up her glasses and placed them back on her face, muttering something under her breath.

"Oh man, I'm really sorry," Wally apologized, helping the girl pick up her fallen books. "I was rushing to class..."

The girl took one look at Wally and smiled, hearts coming to her eyes. "Oh, no need to apologize. I'm Francis."

"And I'm late," Wally said, helping the girl up and handing her back her books. "See ya, Francis!" Wally hollered as he ran down the hall.

Francis clutched her books to her chest, a dreamy expression on her face. She sighed and made her way to class.

TT

Wally was gloomy come fourth period, his lunch period. Today was just not his day. Because he was late, Mr. Immortus had given him a detention. Then, Mr. Plasmus had given them a pop quiz in living environment class, a quiz that Wally was sure he failed. Then, Mrs. Rosa had made him recite a poem in Spanish class. Wally had made a fool of himself when reciting the poem, having mixed up the words and gotten confused in front of the class.

Now that it was lunch time, Wally should have been happy. Lunch was his favorite part of the day, but he didn't feel happy. Not only did the events of his previous classes weigh him down, but today the cafeteria had run out of dessert. This was the cherry on top of a bad day.

"Cheer up, Wally," comforted Alain, patting Wally's back. "So you've had one bad day. We've all had them."

"Leave me alone!" Wally murmured, hiding his face in his arms.

"Oh stop being a drama queen," said Jenn. "We have more pressing news to tend to besides your whining."

"Oh," Wally looked up, eyes slightly narrowed. "Like what?"

"Like what color I should dye my hair."

"Right, because that's so important." Wally responded sarcastically. Jenn replied to him by giving him the finger, to which Wally replied by flipping his own finger.

"Would you two quite it already," snapped Jade. "You're acting like idiots."

"More like an old married couple." muttered Roy, taking a sip of his soda.

"Hold on just a second, Roy! I do not like _him_!"

"And I do not like _her_!"

"I didn't say anything about you two liking each other, I just said you two act like an old married couple!"

The group began to bicker with each other, throwing insults at each other. It wasn't until someone stepped up to their table that they stopped.

"Um... hello. Pardon me!"

The five teens stopped their bickering and turned towards the owner of the voice.

"Hey! I know you," Wally announced. "Francis, right?"

Francis nodded her head. "Hi... I, uh, never got your name before."

"Name is Wally West," Wally turned towards his friends. "These are my friends, Alain, Roy, Jade and She-devil."

Jenn narrowed her eyes at Wally and turned towards the girl. "Ignore him. My name is Jenn."

"It's nice to meet you all."

"So what's up, Francis?" Wally asked curiously.

"Oh," Francis blushed. "When we bumped into each other in the hall this morning, your math book got mixed in with my books." Francis handed said book to Wally. "I just wanted to return it."

"Why? It's not like he uses it." said Jenn. Wally glared at her.

"Well, regardless, I thought I should return it." Francis said softly, her cheeks turning red.

"Hey, Francis, you wanna sit with us?" Alain offered.

"If it's okay with Wally I would love to." Francis answered.

"It's perfectly fine with me." said Wally.

"Great!" Francis immediately took a seat by Wally, smiling at him brightly.

TT

It took only three days for Wally to start dating Francis since their bump in the hall. It didn't come to a shock to anyone that the two started dating. It was obvious from the very beginning that Francis held a torch for Wally. And as for Wally, he found Francis to be a cute girl.

The two were quite comfortable with each other. Francis was so comfortable with Wally, she even started to do thing for him. Just a small token of her affection, she would tell him. And despite Wally repeatedly telling her how much she didn't need to, it didn't stop him from accepting the gifts.

The gift giving all started when Francis baked Wally a cake. She made it herself from scratch, and filled it with love she told him. Wally however, was more focused on the cake rather than her and her words. The next gift was a hand written poem, describing her lover for Wally. Wally however, was more focused on his hand held game rather than her at the time.

It was a continued pattern that only stopped when Francis continued to call Wally repeatedly. At first it was one phone call every few days, then it was one phone call each day. Then that one call turned to two, then three, followed by four and five. Wally however, didn't seem to mind as much. He liked the attention. Francis liked Wally, and he liked her. That was a good relationship in his opinion.

But then his opinion changed one day.

Wally had gone of to play basketball with the guys. It had taken longer than he thought, and after that, him and the guys felt famished. So they all went out for pizza, even inviting the girls to come along. Before he realized it, he had spent almost the entire day with his friends. It was time to head home. As his home came into view, Wally noticed somebody by the front door. As he walked closer, he realized it was his girlfriend.

"Francis," he called out, stepping closer with a raised brow. "What are you doing here?"

"You weren't answering your cell phone, so I thought something was wrong," she answered, stepping closer to him. "I was so worried so I came here to check on you. But you weren't here. Where were you?"

"I was out with some friends," Wally answered indifferently. "No big deal."

"No big deal? No big deal?! I was worried sick about you," Francis shrieked, temper flaring. "You couldn't pick up the phone to call me?!"

"Francis, chill. I don't have to report my every move to you." Wally retorted, not liking her tone of voice.

"I'm your girlfriend! We're supposed to share details with each other!"

"Well if it means that much to you, I'll tell you next time. Can we drop it now?" Wally exasperated.

"Oh, Wally," Francis wrapped the red-head in a hug. "I'm so sorry for yelling. Please forgive me."

Wally, though slightly perplexed by the sudden mood change, hugged her back. Wally considered himself a lover, not a fighter. "It's okay. We were both kind of wrong. You mostly, but whatever."

"Wait a minute," Francis sniffed Wally's shirt and frowned. She pulled away from him, glaring at him from behind her glasses. "Why is there a perfume scent on your shirt? You were with a girl, weren't you? Weren't you?!"

Wally stepped back a bit. "I was. Five girls actually. "But it was just Karen, Jade, Jenn, Raven and Kori. My friends."

"Only friends hmm? Then explain the perfume scent!"

"Kori hugged me. She's friendly like that."

"You mean the tall red head?"

Wally nodded.

Francis frowned. "That girl is _way _too friendly. I don't trust her."

"Don't you think that you're overreacting?"

"Wally, I love you. I'm allowed to overreact."

Wally's eyes went wide like saucers and he felt as if his lungs weren't getting enough air. He stepped back, scared of the girl who just used the 'L' word on him. "L-lov-ve," Wally stuttered, totally freaked. "How could you love me when we've been dating for such a short time?!"

"I just do, Wallace," she said sweetly, using his full name. "I feel it in my heart. Don't you?"

"Hell no," Wally spluttered. Suddenly this relationship seemed all wrong. He wanted out, and now. "I think we should break up."

Suddenly, Wally felt himself being pushed against the front door. Francis held him in place, with strength he didn't knew she had, and glared at him.

"I don't want to break up with you," she said softly, yet firmly, her eyes vicious. "We can't break up. _We can't_!"

Wally could only nod. He was afraid that if he said anything else, she would snap at him. and to be honest, Wally was a bit afraid of her at the moment, so much that 'a bit' was an understatement.

"So... we won't break up then," Francis asked, her attitude becoming slightly calm. Wally nodded and she smiled. "Good. Now how about a kiss for your favorite girl."

Wally didn't want to upset her, so he complied with her wish. Only he leaned in to kiss her cheek instead. She noticed and grabbed him by the shoulders, forcing his lips to meet hers. She put a hand behind his head, pulling at his hair, and her other hand pulled at his shirt, bringing him as close as possible. Once she had her fill, Francis pulled away smiling.

"Good night, Wally. I love you." she said sweetly, walking away.

Once she was out of sight Wally quickly ran inside and locked the door behind him, scared that she might come back.

TT

Wally decided to seek out help for the whole Francis situation. Normally, he would have gone to Alain for help, but considering how Alain had never given out breaking up advice before, Wally decided to visit Roy instead. Roy was a pro when it came to breaking up with girls. Currently, the two boys were sitting in Roy's room, discussing the situation.

"And then she went all psycho bitch on me and told me she loved me," Wally confessed frantically. "I tried to break up with her, but she scared the hell outta me! She practically threaten me!"

"Crazy girl huh," Roy rubbed his chin. "I've dealt with their type before. It's easy to get rid of them once you know what group to put them in."

Wally rose a brow. "Group?"

"Yeah. Let me explain," Roy took out a book from his bottom dresser. He opened it up to a random page and showed it to Wally, handing it to Wally. "Before I got with Jade, I was quite the playboy."

"No duh."

Roy ignored the comment. "Anyways, during my playboy days, I learned a few things about different types of girls, and how to group them together. The page you're on now is cheerleader. Now there are different groups to cheerleaders," Roy explained. "You got the bitchy kind, the sluts, some are sweet and others are snobs."

Wally turned the page, nodding in understanding.

"That's your goth type," Roy said when he caught sight of the page. "Their groups include the kind who were shunned from society, are posing this way to get back at their parents, were hurt deeply in the past, or are just plan... dark."

Wally nodded once more, turning to the next page. His eyes went wide. "This page is about crazy girls!"

Roy nodded. "Crazy girls are complicated. Breaking up with them can be even more complicated," Roy took the book, scanning over the page. "Okay, clearly Francis is in the obsessive group. She seems like the kind who would hurt you if a break up was to occur, rather than herself... So that means we have to get her to break up with you."

"How?"

"We trick her of course. But we'll need some help on this one. I'll need Raven, Kori and Jenn to help out with this."

"Thanks, Roy. You're a life saver...," Wally sighed in relief, then he glanced at the book curiously. "Roy... just how did you put a book like that together?"

"I added a few details, but most of the information was put in there by Ollie. He made the book in high school and passed it on to me."

Wally fought not to laugh.

TT

The day for the plan to be put into action finally came, and Wally found himself face to face with Francis. They were at the pizza parlor, sitting across from each other in one of the booths. Wally saw Roy sitting a couple of booths down, and noticed the flash of light from his watch. It was go time.

Wally took both of Francis' hands in his own, smiling sweetly at her. "Francis, I know it's only been a short time since we've been together, but I feel as if I've known you for a life time."

"Oh, Wally, I feel the same way." Francis replied sweetly, smiling at him.

"Now, I know we're young... but, Francis," Wally took out a velvet box from his pocket, opening it for Francis to see. Inside was a gold ring with an oval diamond that was yellow. "Will you, someday, when we're older, become my wife?"

"Oh, Wally," tears sprang to Francis's eyes. "Of course I will!"

"Perfect," Wally took her hands in his once more. "One day we shall be married."

"Not if I have anything to say about it." growled Raven, stepping forward.

"Raven, darling, what are you doing here?" Wally asked, looking nervous. Everything was going according to plan.

"I could ask you the same thing," Raven gulped as she prepared herself for the next word. "Lover."

"Lover," Francis stood up. "There must be some kind of mistake. You see--"

"Wally proposed to me yesterday," said Raven quickly, showing off her gold ring with a pink, heart shaped diamond. "That makes him my lover."

Francis looked at Wally with hurt and anger filled eyes. "Wally, is that true?"

"Yes, but--" Wally was cut off by a new arrival.

"Wally, my darling, there you are," said Kori, stepping up to their booth. "We need to go plan our wedding."

"Wedding," Francis spluttered. She glared at Wally. "You're engaged to her too?!"

"Well..." Wally trailed off, trying not to grin.

"Of course we're engaged," said Kori cheerfully. She showed off her hand which flashed a purple, triangle, diamond set on a gold band. "The ring he gave me is proof."

"I can't believe this..." Francis uttered, running a hand through her hair.

"Well don't," said Jenn as she stepped into view. "It's all lies. Wally isn't marrying Kori or Raven..." Jenn held up her hand. On her finger was a gold band with a blue diamond shaped as a square. "He's engaged to me."

"Now, now, ladies," Wally grinned at them. "There's enough of me to go around. You can all be my wives!"

"Well count me out," Francis replied angrily. "I thought I loved you, Wally... but after this fiasco I've realized you're a complete waist of my time." she picked up her half empty soda cup and threw it at him, staining his shirt with her coke. "I never want to see you again!"

She walked out in a blaze of anger. Once they were sure she was gone, they sighed in relief. The plan had worked.

Roy stepped up to the table, clapping his hands. "Great acting guys. Lovely performance."

"I can't believe she brought that." Raven said, removing the ring from her finger.

"I know," responded Kori. "I thought for sure she would be able to tell the rings were fake. They did come from a gumball machine after all."

TT

It was a new school day. Wally walked the halls with Roy by his side. They noticed Francis walk by, but she didn't even look their way. Wally sighed in relief. After the whole Francis escapade he was ready to take a long vacation from the dating world.

Roy scoffed. "Let's see how long that vacation last."

"Trust me, I'm thinking it'll last for a long... time..." Wally trailed off as he stared at a girl down the hall, but not just any girl. Jenn.

Jenn and Jade walked over to the boys.

"Hey guys," greeted Jade. "You like Jenn's new look?"

Jenn, who's hair was now died pink, shook her head, showing off her locks of hair as if she was in a shampoo commercial. "Honest opinion guys. I like it but--"

"I think it looks great," Wally cut in softly, his voice genuine. "You look beautiful Jenn."

Jenn was taken by surprise by his comment, but regain her composure. "Thanks, Wally."

Jenn and Jade walked away. Wally stared at Jenn with a look of longing in his eyes. Roy noticed and chuckled.

"So much for staying off of girls."

TT

**SPECIAL THANKS TOO Dancing-StarFrenzy, superanimated, TerraBB4Eva, jcyz, clarkLover1, cookiegurl15, BerryDrops, cookiesruletheworld, featherpen13, Daniella, RavenSis, tennisgal456, Affinitive AND Shine-Avalon FOR ALL OF THE AWESOME REVIEWS. YOU ARE ALL SO GREAT! I HOPED YOU ALL LIKED THIS CHAPTER.**

**AND THAT'S HOW WALLY GAINED HIS CRUSH ON JENN.**

**IN MIDDLE SCHOOL, THE BOYS IN MY CLASS HAD A BOOK LIKE ROY'S.**

**DRUM ROLL, EXTRA THANKS FOR RavenSis, FOR BEING THE 200TH REVIEWER! AS A REWARD RavenSis, YOU GET TO ASK ME ONE QUESTION ABOUT THIS STORY, Hanging By A Moment, OR ANY OF THE TWO SEQUELS THAT FOLLOW IT. YOU ONLY GET ONE QUESTION, SO CHOOSE WISELY.**

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	17. Chapter 17

The sky over Jump City had turned black and the street lights were shining brightly. A sleek, black car pulled up in front of an alley and parked in front of it. Two boys sat in the front, unmoving.

"Well," began the one who sat behind the wheel. His black hair swayed to the side when he turned his head, his blue eyes gazing at the boy next to him. "This is the drop."

"I don't know about this, Jason," said the boy, red eyes narrowed at the alley as if it was a form of evil. "I have a feeling--"

"C'mon, Xavier. Trust me on this."

"But Max has always been a screw up," pointed out Xavier, turning his head to the side. "He's gotten you into too much trouble. How do we know this ain't a set up."

Jason released an exasperated sigh. "I've been running this business for years now, and--"

"I know you're the boss--"

"If you don't trust my decision as your boss," began Jason softly. "Then trust my decision as your older brother."

Xavier lowered his gaze, a scowl on his face. His hands clenched the briefcase that sat on his lap and he unlocked the car door. Grumbling under his breath he got out of the car. "Always has to play the brother card..."

Stepping out of the car, Xavier ventured into the dark alley, briefcase clutched within his hands. Pausing in his walk, he glanced around momentarily until finding the object he was looking for. Hidden behind a pile of papers was a brown briefcase, much like the one he was holding. Xavier quickly switched the two and made his way back to the car.

"You made the switch?" Jason asked as soon as his younger brother entered the car.

"Yeah. Now let's see if this deal was legit or not." Xavier unlatched the seal and opened the briefcase. A low whistle escaped his lips as he caught sight of the contents inside. A row of cash practically glowed before him.

Jason smirked. "And you thought this was a set up."

No sooner than he said that, red and blue lights appeared in the rear-view mirror. A police car siren began to howl in the street.

Xavier frowned, eyes narrowed. "You were saying?"

Jason gritted his teeth. "Hold on."

Jason quickly took off, the police car following not that far behind. Pushing his foot harder against the gas pedal he sped up some, increasing the distance between his car and the police car.

"I knew some stupid shit like this was bound to happen," Xavier shouted. "You should have cut ties with Max a long time ago!"

"What, and miss all this," Jason scoffed as he made a sharp turn. "Not a chance!" His eyes flicked to his mirror and he scowled. The police car was still trailing him. "We need to lose this guy."

Xavier nodded and opened the dashboard, pulling out a silver handgun. He quickly handed it to his brother who clutched it in his hand. Jason leaned his arm out the window, checking quickly to make sure his aim was right, and fired off three bullets. The first one hit the left head light of the police car, and the last two bullets hit the left tire. This caused the police car to come to a stop as Jason and Xavier made their get-away.

Jason chuckled as he made another sharp turn, losing sight of the police car. "And you were worried."

Xavier just rolled his eyes.

TT

Parked in an old garage, Jason kneeled down to the bumper of his car, his hands working to remove the license plate to exchange it with a new one. He succeeded in removing it and got to work in putting on a new one. Inside the car sat Xavier, his hands shuffling up the stacks of money while counting.

Jason wiped his forehead and sat up, making his way to the front seat. "I've changed the plates, now all we have to do is get rid of the old one. Is the money all there?"

"All accounted for," Xavier answered, closing the briefcase. "Listen... I'm sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have disrespected you like that."

"Nah, it's cool," Jason replied with a shrug. "In this business you need to follow your instincts, and you, my little brother." Jason playfully ruffled his brother's hair. "Have some good instincts. Way better than mine..."

"Now you know that's not true. Your instincts is what has gotten us this far ever since mom passed away."

"Yeah, but my instincts could have gotten us arrested tonight...," Jason leaned his head back, his eyes closed. "I'm gettin' too old for this crap."

"You're in your early twenties."

Jason whacked Xavier in the head, earning a hiss of pain from the youngster. "Don't be a smartass."

TT

Jason whistled softly to himself as he bustled around his room, folding and packing. Venturing to his closet he began to remove hangers and clothing, tossing it to his bed. A smile adorned his face and a sense of freedom and joy consumed him.

He was in such a state of bliss that he hardly registered the fact that his younger brother barged into the room.

"What the hell, Jason?!" Xavier yelled angrily, fist clenched tightly and his chest heaving. He wore a hurt expression on his face.

Jason paused in his packing. "It's rude to enter without knocking first you know."

"What the hell is all this I hear about you leaving?!"

Jason frowned. He had hoped to break the news to his brother himself. "Who spilled the beans?"

"Billy," Xavier answered, glaring angrily at the older boy before him. "He wanted to be the first one to congratulate me about being the new boss. Once he realized I hadn't the slightest clue what he was talking about, he was kind enough to fill me in on the details."

"Well I guess we can skip over the 'me telling you' part and get right to the 'you yelling at me' stage."

"Quit being as ass, Jason," Xavier snarled. Normally he wouldn't behave this way towards his brother, but today he was too enraged to show respect. "I want an explanation. Why the hell are you leaving? And why did you tell everyone that I was in charge?"

Jason sat on his bed, hands folded under his chin and elbows resting on his knees. He was silent for a long while, not exactly sure how to tell his little brother his reasons for leaving. After mulling it over he decided to just be honest. "I'm tired."

A perplexed expression replaced Xavier's angry one. "Tired? Tired of what? I don't understand."

"Don't you see, Xavier," responded Jason, standing up. "I'm tired of all of _this_. I'm tired of this organization. I don't want this life anymore! I'm sick of it, all of it!"

"Almost a week ago you were perfectly fine with it! What the hell changed?"

Jason pursed his lips and reached inside his pocket. Taking out his wallet he removed a picture and showed it to Xavier. It was a picture of a girl with blue eyes and blonde hair. "Her name is Mia. You remember her, don't you?"

"How could I forget. She totally kicked your ass that one time when we were kids," Xavier almost smiled at the memory, but he wasn't in the mood for smiling right now. He was far to upset. "What does she have to do with this?"

"Come on, Xavier, you're a smart boy. Put the pieces together."

That's when it all seemed to click. All of the out of two business meeting, secret phone conversations, Jason's weird behavior and side deals the gang didn't know about. All of it fit.

"That's why you made that deal with Max, and that's why you only brought me... You've been planning this, haven't you?"

"Not completely. At first I thought I could twist Mia on to our side, get het to join the gang and relive the good old days, but no... She crawled her way out of this hell hole we call a business and didn't plan on coming back."

"So now you're giving it all up just to be with her? What about the business you've fought so hard tot maintain?"

"I always intended for you to take over. Granted I thought you'd be older, but I think you're ready. You have good instincts."

Xavier looked completely flabbergasted. "Are you out of your damn mind?! I can't run this business! I can't replace you."

"I've taught you everything you need to know. And if you ever need me you know I'll be there for you," Jason placed his hands on his brother's shoulders, his eyes pleading. "Xavier, I'm begging you here. Please do this for me."

Ever since they were kids, Jason had always been there for Xavier. He was always there, watching his back and showing him the ropes. When he needed him most, Jason was there no matter what. Xavier didn't want to let that support go, but he couldn't refuse his brother's request. Jason never asked him for much, so he couldn't say no. Besides, helping Jason leave the business would guarantee his brother a safe and happy life with Mia.

"If this is what you really want... then fine. I'll take the business off of your hands," Xavier then tried to cover up his emotions and crossed his arms, acting nonchalant. He scoffed. "Though I don't understand why you would give this all up for some girl."

Jason chuckled and slung an arm around Xavier's shoulders. "You'll understand one day when you meet a great girl."

TT

Kori's eyes were half lidded and her chin rested in the palm of her hand. Sitting besides her was Gar, who's expression was one of boredom. He released a yawn and pinched himself to get rid of the weary feeling that was weighing him down. Next to Gar sat Vic and Karen. The couple were leaning against each other, both of them looking rather sleepy. Raven looked at her watch and sighed.

"And so then, I reached out to get the Fall Out Boy album and our hands touched! It was magical. I looked into his eyes and he looked into mines. We just clicked!" gushed Dick's new girlfriend Janet, a girl with green eyes and brunette hair. She smiled at Dick and took his hand.

"Wow... that's, uh... That's really romantic." Raven said dryly. Janet's tale of how she met Dick had been long and boring, but Raven was too bored to be rude.

"Well if you liked that story, you'll just _love_ the story of our first date," Janet replied, smiling brightly. "Do you want me to tell it to you?"

"NO!" Karen, Vic and Gar shouted simultaneously.

Janet shrugged and smiled. She picked up her drink and took a sip, only to realize that her cup was empty. "Aw, I'm all outta pop."

"Here," Dick passed his drink to his girlfriend. "You can have my soda."

"Dick, that is so sweet of you!" Janet leaned over to give him a kiss on the cheek. She pulled away and had a dazed expression on her face. She cupped Dick's face in her hands and latched her lips on to his, kissing him deeply. Dick returned her affections fully and wrapped his arms around her.

The others had dumbfounded expressions on their faces.

Vic was the first one to snap out of it. He had a suggestive look on his face when he turned his head towards Karen. "Hey--"

"Don't even think about it." Karen cut him off briskly. Vic sighed and leaned against his chair, pouting.

Kori rose from her seat. She had just about enough of watching Dick with his new girlfriend. She had better things to do than watch Dick suck faces with some girl. "I'm going home."

Gar frowned and turned to Raven. "How come she gets to go?"

Dick pulled away long enough to utter a few words. "See you later, Kori."

"Yeah... later." Kori replied softly, leaving the fast good restaurant. Once she was outside, it took all her willpower not to cry out in frustration.

TT

Freshman year was getting closer to it's end and Xavier couldn't be happier. The ending of the school year was something he had been looking forward to. His life was in a mix after his older brother left and he was drained. It was to be suspected, after all he was in charge of a business now. Regardless, he just couldn't wait to get home and crash on to his bed. Unfortunately for him, he still had yet to require his own wheels, which meant he had to walk.

Xavier showed no complaints as he walked down the street. He came across a empty street and looked both ways. Once he was given the all clear he walked inside the white lines and crossed. Upon his way he accidently bumped shoulders with a girl. She had long red hair and emerald green eyes. Xavier instantly recognized her from school. She was Kori Anders.

"Sorry." Kori murmured.

"No problem." Xavier said absently and he walked faster, finally reaching the sidewalk. He glanced over at Kori who was still crossing the street. Xavier didn't know her well, but he was pretty sure she was upset about something. That's when something caught Xavier's eye.

Kori sighed as she crossed the street. She was troubled, and it had caused her to accidently bump into someone while crossing the street.

Kori shook her head and tried to get her mind off of things, namely, get her mind off of Dick. Dick Grayson, her best friend and secret crush had just got himself another girlfriend. Kori thought the girl's name was Bella... or perhaps it was Beth. She honestly didn't know. Dick had become quite the playboy and it was hard to keep track of his monthly girlfriends.

Kori was in such deep thought she didn't notice the danger approaching her at high speed. There was a flash of light and Kori became frozen, like a deer caught in head lights, as a swaying car drove towards her.

That's when time seemed to tick abnormally, and Kori felt something pull at her waist.

The breath was knocked out of her and there was a sudden weight straddling her. Time seemed to move at its normal pace again.

Kori opened her eyes to see the same boy she bumped into earlier on top of her. He was mumbling something about stupid drunk drivers. He stopped his rant and looked down at her. His breath caught in his throat and his eyes widened.

"Cute..."

"Pardon?"

He blushed a furious red and got off of her, helping her up. The boy cleared his throat and managed to gain some cool. "I asked what your name was."

Kori shook her head, still feeling slightly frazzled. "Oh... Kori Anders."

"Well, Kori, let's get out of the street before another car comes by," she nodded and followed him to the side walk. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I am." Kori answered softly, staring at him. This boy seemed so familiar.

"That's good." he said with relief. Why he felt relief over her well being, he did not know.

"Don't I know you," she said while walking around him in a circle. Xavier rose a brow at her antics. "Ah-ha! Now I recognize you. We go to the same high school."

"Yeah, we do," Xavier said as he began to walk away. "See ya."

"Wait," Kori cried. She couldn't let him leave. She had to know the name of her rescuer. "You didn't tell me your name."

"Xavier Red." and then he walked away.

TT

The day ended and a new one began. Xavier did his usual routine, which was school, but today was different for him. He couldn't get the red-head he met yesterday out of his head. Why was he thinking about her? He didn't know.

The bell rang, announcing the end of the school day, and Xavier went to his locker to gather his things. He absently stuffed his books inside his book-bag but stopped when someone tapped his shoulder. Xavier turned around and became face to face with flowers...?

The flowers were moved to the side to reveal the red-head that plagued his thoughts.

"Kori?" he didn't plan on seeing her anytime soon.

"I got these for you," Kori said, handing him the bouquet. "It's a thank you gift for saving my life yesterday. Thank you."

Xavier accepted the flowers and rose a brow. "You're welcome, but... I'm a guy. We don't usually do flowers unless it's the other way around," he handed the bouquet back to her. "Here, you keep them."

Kori colored slightly, embarrassed. She wanted to do something nice to repay her rescuer. Of all the things to mess up... "I guess I should have gotten you chocolates instead."

Xavier narrowed his eyes slightly. He couldn't understand why this girl was being so kind to him. No one in this school was kind to him because of the reputation he had. The only ones nice to him were his friends. "Aren't you afraid?"

Kori blinked, baffled. "Of chocolate?"

"No," Xavier sighed, slightly frustrated. "Of me. I'm Xavier Red. You know what people say about me right? That I roll in gangs and shoot up places and do drugs."

"Well... It's all just rumors right?"

No, they weren't rumors. Well, the shooting up places was half true, not really. He only fired a gun once, and that was by accident, and it was in an abandoned warehouse. But the doing drugs part was a complete lie.

Xavier gazed into Kori's emerald eyes. He saw how sweet and innocent and beautiful this girl before him was. She was being so kind to him... He couldn't tell her the truth.

"Yeah, it's all rumors."

"Then there's no reason for me to be scared of you," Kori said simply. "Besides, you saved my life. You must be a good person."

Xavier was taken back by her response. Either she was naive or really trusting. "Thank you."

"So, now that we reached an understanding, let me buy you pizza," Kori said, wearing a broad smile. She was still determined to thank the one who saved her. "It's the least I can do."

Xavier paused. He had no plans for today, and he was hungry... "Okay then."

"Yay! Let's go." Kori grabbed his hand and pulled him along. Xavier couldn't help but smile at her.

"You're something else cutie." Xavier blushed at his words. That last word had accidently slipped out.

"Cutie?" Kori rose a brow.

Xavier felt like an idiot at the current moment. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean--"

Kori giggled, not at all offended. "Cutie, huh? I like it."

Xavier smiled.

TT

**SPECIAL THANKS TOO Dancing-StarFrenzy, MathGeek1o1, Koriand'r Grayson, katara12171, jcyz, BerryDrops, cookiegurl15, featherpen13, TerraBB4Eva, Ace.04, Affinitive, superanimated, RavenSis, happyjoyclub, cookiesruletheworld, tennisgal456, ElementalMaster1304 AND .Spaz-attack101 FOR THE AWESOME REVIEWS. YOU ARE ALL SO GREAT AND I COULDN'T ASK FOR BETTER SUPPORT. I HOPED YOU ALL LIKED THIS CHAPTER, SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG.**

**AND THAT'S HOW KORI AND XAVIER MET.**

**IMPORTANT NOTICE: TO THOSE WHO READ Hanging By A Moment, THERE IS A ****VERY IMPORTANT**** POLL ON MY PROFILE THAT YOU SHOULD LOOK AT.**

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	18. Chapter 18

"Hey, Kori!"

Kori paused mid-step in her dash towards the door and her body became stiff, like that of a child who's hand had been caught in the cookie jar. She turned around and smiled broadly, her face flashing innocence. "Hey guys. What's up?"

"Don't act so innocent," said Karen, wagging a finger at the red head. "Every day since last week you've been dashing towards the door as soon as school's over."

"What's the rush little lady?" inquired Vic, standing besides his girlfriend.

Kori bit her lip, looking away. "I just... have some place to be, that's all."

"So in other words you're going to go meet with your new friend." Raven noted, arms crossed.

Kori frowned slightly. Since the day she met Xavier she had been spending more and more time with him, getting to know him better and eventually considering him a friend. Since the previous week, as soon as eighth period ended, Kori had been gathering her things as quickly as possible, and running straight towards the door so she could meet Xavier. She had been avoiding telling her friends about Xavier, knowing that they wouldn't approve of her relationship with him, even if that relationship was based solely on friendship. So she kept Xavier a secret and merely told her friends that she had met someone new. Whenever they demanded answers on this 'new' person, Kori would stumble around for an excuse and avoided telling the truth. Now that she was corned she wasn't quite sure what to do.

"It's nothing really, I was just going to go hang out in the park." Kori told them.

"You mean, hang out in the park with your new friend," quipped Gar, winking. He made a kissy face. "Oh la la!"

"Shut it," Kori messed up Gar's hair. "It's not like that. Now if you'll all excuse me, I have somewhere important to be."

With that said Kori left the classroom, her hair swinging behind her. Trailing right behind her came Dick.

"Kori, wait up," he ran to catch up to her. "Spare a minute for your best friend?"

Kori continued to walk but smiled at him. "Always."

"Me and the others were gonna go get some pizza. Why don't you come with. It'll be fun."

"But I already made plans."

"Well... blow them off."

Kori narrowed her eyes, her voice scolding. "Dick..."

"Oh come on, Kori," Dick snapped, grabbing her by the shoulders and looking her in the eyes. "What's so special about this guy? And why haven't we met him yet? Are you even sure that he can be trusted?.... Kori?"

Kori had frozen up, her face turning extremely red and her eyes wide. By now Dick had frozen too, realizing how close his face was to Kori's. His cheeks turned red as well and he quickly released Kori, stepping back.

"Uh... sorry." Dick muttered, face ducked low as he rubbed the back of his neck. There was still a tint of red on his cheeks.

"Uh... no problem," Kori squeaked, looking away as well so he wouldn't see her blush. "I have to go now..."

"Oh yeah, of course," Dick responded awkwardly. After that _little_ moment they just shared he didn't feel up to engaging Kori in conversation, let alone looking her in the eye. "I'll call you tonight."

"Okay." Kori nodded and quickly took off. Once she rounded the corner Dick slapped his forehead.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" he repeated, slapping himself repeatedly on the forehead.

"You got that right," muttered Raven. Dick turned around to face her, a look of embarrassment on his face. "Come on, the others are waiting."

TT

"Do you think Kori has a boyfriend?"

It was a simple question, asked by Gar, that had a chain reaction. Vic, Karen, Dick and Raven each held a stunned expression on their face and the slice of pizza they had in their hands dropped back down on to the plate. They stood silent, their minds trying to think of an answer for Gar's question. Dick was the first to break from limbo, and in doing so he released a chuckle.

"Yeah right, as if," Dick chuckled a bit. "If Kori had a boyfriend I would know."

Dick leaned back coolly, looking somewhat smug. Then Karen popped his bubble.

"You wouldn't know."

Dick rose a brow at her.

"Kori would tell me and Raven first, that's how it works between girls," explained Karen. "And then I would tell Vic, who in turn would tell Gar. And then Kori would finally get around to telling you."

Dick frowned and crossed his arms.

Gar turned his attention to the girls. "So does Kori have a boyfriend or not?"

"No, she doesn't have a boyfriend," answered Raven, biting into the crust of her pizza. She chewed and swallowed. "If she did me and Karen would know by now."

"If she's not dating this guy why is she so reluctant to bring him around us?" questioned Vic.

"Because she knows you three would totally freak." Karen stated, pointing at the boys.

"Not true!"

"We would not!"

"Name one time!"

Karen and Raven briefly glanced at each other and then looked back at the boys.

"When Kori got her first boyfriend," Karen pointed at Vic. "You popped the poor kid's bike tires."

"And you," Raven pointed at Gar. "Pulled down his pants in front of the entire school."

"And you," Karen pointed at Dick. "You beat the kid up."

"He started it," Dick shouted defensively. Gar and Vic nodded in agreement. "And he deserved it too!"

The girls rolled their eyes.

TT

Xavier hummed a happy tune as he walked into the abandoned warehouse which served as his gang's headquarters. Upon walking in, his right hand man Billy emerged to his side quickly.

"Hey boss man. I got the name of that dealer from Gotham City, you know, the new one who people think has lost his marbles. Well he's supposed to send a sample of his junk it, should be here by the start of the new week, it's supposed to be really intoxicating."

"Uh-huh." Xavier nodded absently, a happy smile on his face as he walked to his office.

Billy wore a perplexed expression. "That's it? No questions, no comments?"

Xavier ignored him and entered his office. Micheal and Seemore were in there, playing cards. Billy, Micheal and Seemore were Xavier's closest friends and he trusted them, so he didn't mind that they were in his office at all.

Billy followed Xavier in, making sure to shut the door behind them, and observed Xavier carefully. He didn't understand where this happy mood came from. "Are you high?"

Xavier sat in his new, black leather chair. He leaned back, plopping his feet on the desk, making sure not to interrupt Micheal and Seemore's game, and continued smiling. "I had... the most incredible day ever."

"Thanks to that cute red head no doubt," said Seemore, laying down his cards. "I fold. Let's play a new game."

"Gold fish?" asked Micheal. Seemore nodded and he shuffled the deck of cards.

"Oh," Billy snagged a milk crate and sat upon it, eyes focused on Xavier. "Had a little fun did you?"

"I had fun, but not in the way you're thinking."

"So, are you like, dating this girl now?" Micheal asked.

Xavier colored and narrowed his eyes, looking away. "Shut up."

"Well are you gonna ask her out," Seemore inquired. "Cause if you are let me know. I wanted to ask her out."

"Say what?!" Xavier spluttered, glaring daggers at Seemore while Billy and Micheal howled with laughter.

That's when someone knocked on the door, interrupting the boys.

"Go away," shouted Xavier. "I'm busy!"

Xavier wasn't in the mood for any meetings or dealers. He had spent an amazing day with Kori and was currently having fun with his most trusted friends, he didn't want his peace disturbed.

Unfortunately for him, the person on the other side of the door decided to walk in anyways.

Xavier immediately straightened in his chair, feet coming to the floor. His eyes narrowed into a glare and his voice turned into a snarl. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"What, an old friend can't drop by," Fang asked casually, stepping inside. He smirked at Xavier's glare. "I was hoping we could talk..."

"Billy, Seemore, Micheal... You three can go."

"But boss--"

"Go!"

The three boys zipped their lips and left the room, each one of them making sure to glare at Fang on the way out. Micheal even went as far as to growl at the boy. The door shut upon their departure, leaving Xavier and Fang all alone. Fang smirked and sat down on the other side of the desk, his eyes locked on Xavier. Silence filled the room and Xavier was the first to speak.

"Why are you here?"

"I thought I just drop bye, say hello. You know, just two old friends catching up with each other..."

"Bullshit. What's the real reason?"

"I want you to move your forces away from the docks. Our shipments need to get in and your gang is becoming a nuisance."

"Our presence at the docks is necessary. It's our way of a peaceful retaliation for that club your gang raided."

"My gang is currently under new and stronger leadership. I can assure you that no one from my side will interfere with your business."

Xavier rose a brow, suddenly alarmed by Fang's words. "And just how can you assure me that?"

Fang smirked evilly. "You haven't heard the good news? Shame on you, Xavier, not keeping up with current events. Tsk, tsk. Maybe you should spend less time running around with that sexy red head--"

"You shut your fucking mouth before I let Micheal strangle you!" Xavier roared, standing from his seat so fast it tipped over. His hands slammed against the desk and he glared at Fang with hatred.

Fang shook his head, chuckling lowly. He was enjoying this new found power he had within his grasp. "I took over the gang. Randy's gone."

Xavier's eyes widened and he staggered a bit. Randy had been the leader of Fang's gang. He was always such a strong figure in the underworld of Jump City. "What happened to him?"

"Me and a couple of the boys haven't been too pleased with the way Randy had been running the business as of late, so we mutiny. Drove him right out of town. He's probably crossing the boarder for all we know... But let's not talk about that geezer, we have much business to discuss about my docks."

Xavier's mind was still wrapped around the fact that Fang had full control over a gang. He shook his head, trying to regain his thoughts. "The docks are still under my thumb, so I suggest you watch yourself."

Fang frowned, not pleased. "Fine then, but don't be surprised if I take any negative action."

With that said, Fang rose from his seat and made his way to the door, seeing his way out. He walked briskly past Micheal, Billy and Seemore, causing the three to stare after him. The three then turned their attention towards Xavier.

"So...," Seemore was the one to break the silence. "I guess that means you won't be asking out Kori."

TT

"So when do we get to meet this friend of yours, Kori?" asked Vic indifferently.

Kori glanced at her friend, a dumbfound expression on her face. She wasn't sure what to say. "Uh..."

"If this guy is your friend then we should meet him, right?" added Karen, sounding nonchalant.

Kori furrowed her brows, confused. She wasn't exactly sure what game her friends were playing, but she was determined not to be tricked by them. "I don't think so, you guys probably won't even like him."

"Yeah, you're probably right," agreed Gar. "Never mind. Forget we mentioned it."

Kori rose a brow, perplexed. Were they giving up? No, they wouldn't give up so easily. Not knowing what they were up too was beginning to frustrate Kori. "So you really don't care anymore?"

"Like you said, we probably won't even like him," said Raven. "He's probably just a weirdo anyway."

"He's not a weirdo... He's a great guy, really."

"No, no, you don't have to explain to us, Kori," Dick said. "I think we understand why you don't want him around us. He's probably one of _those_ guys."

"Wait, what? What do you mean by one of _those_ guys?"

"You know, one of _those_ guys," Dick shook his head. "I wouldn't want to be around one of _those _guys."

Kori took it that one of _those _guys was an insult. She was determined to defend her friend now. "He's not one of those guys!"

"Kori, you don't have to--"

"He's not! I'll prove it. We'll all go out tomorrow for pizza. Then you can meet him and see for yourself."

Dick smirked. "If you say so, Kori."

"I do say so," Kori crossed her arms, feeling as if she achieved something. That feeling of achievement then went away when she realized what she had done. Her eyes widened and she took in the smug faces of her friends. They had tricked her. "Oh crap."

TT

Things were quiet between Xavier and Kori. The two had decided to return to the park, seeing as they had so much fun yesterday they thought today would be even better. As it turns out, things were not better. Things were quiet, _extremely_ quiet. Both teens laid on the grass, their eyes locked on the sky above.

Kori glanced at Xavier from the corner of her eye. She had yet to tell him about the meeting she had set up for them and her friends. She was stalling, that was why she was being so silent. Kori was afraid that Xavier would be upset with her if she told him, but she knew if she didn't tell him that would only make things worse on the other end. Her friends wouldn't stop pestering her until they met him.

"Xavier," Kori turned her head towards him. She would just ask him and get it over with. "Mind if I ask you a question?"

Xavier turned his line of vision towards Kori. "Depending what the question is."

"Uh... well... my friends want to meet you... So I was wondering if you would mind... you know..." Kori trailed off, looking away.

Xavier turned his attention back to the clouds. "As long as I don't have to meet your parents, it's cool."

"Really? Oh, Xavier, I owe you big time!" Kori quickly leaned over and pecked Xavier on the cheek, causing him to smile and blush.

TT

"He's late." Gar said in a sing-song voice.

"He'll be here." Kori assured him and the others, clutching and unclutching her hands under the table. She bit her lip. Why on earth was Xavier so late? He should have been here already.

"It's been twenty minutes, Kori," announced Vic, looking at his watch. "I doubt he's coming."

"He'll be here. He promised he'd be here."

"I'm getting hungry!" whined Gar. Raven slapped him behind his head and he yelped in pain, scowling at her.

"Look," Kori pointed towards the door. "Here he comes now!"

"Where? I don't see anyone." Karen scanned her eyes around.

"Hey, Xavier! Over here!"

Raven cast a worried glance around the table and her expression was returned. She knew of only one Xavier, and that was the one from school with the horrid record. Why on earth would Kori be with someone like him? And where exactly did she meet him? Raven leaned over to Karen.

"Please tell me I'm hallucinating and that's not Xavier Red that Kori is waving to."

"Well if you're hallucinating I guess that means I am too."

"Cutie, sorry I'm late. I got... held up," Xavier said before giving Kori a hug. He looked at the five teens sitting down, two of which looked ready to kill him, and three who looked absolutely stunned. "S'up."

"Guys, this is Xavier Red. He's the one I told you about, the one who pushed me out of the way," Kori smiled at Xavier and pointed at her friends, one at a time. "Xavier, that's Raven Roth and Karen Beecher. Then there's Vic Stone and Gar Logan. And last but certainly not least, my best friend Dick Grayson."

Silence filled the small group as well as an awkward tension.

Raven rose from her seat. "Kori, ladies room. Now."

TT

"Are you freakin' insane! For the love of God, Kori, that's Xavier freakin' Red!" shouted Karen.

"What are you doing hanging out with a guy like him?" demanded Raven.

"I told you, he saved me--"

"You never told us it was Xavier Red! I mean, it's freakin' Xavier Red," Karen paced in the bathroom. "Do you know what they say about him? He's a bad seed, Kori. A bad seed!"

"Whatever you heard was a rumor."

"And let me guess, he told you that right," Raven rolled her eyes. "Kori..."

"Raven," interrupted Kori. "I'm a big girl. I can pick my own friends."

"No, no, no, no," Karen shook her head. "Raven, forbid Kori from seeing him.

A staring contest formed between Raven and Kori. Raven noticed the fierce look in Kori's eyes, she could see her determination. Raven sighed. Even if she told Kori not to see Xavier she wouldn't listen.

"Don't expect me to be nice to him." Raven muttered dryly.

"What, no... No! Don't take her side, Raven," Raven opened her mouth to speak but Karen cut her off. "Oh just forget it, I'll do it. Kori, I forbid you from seeing that... that criminal!"

"Karen..." Kori put 'the look' and Karen could feel herself melting.

Karen pinched the bridge of her nose and shut her eyes. "Crap."

TT

"So..." Gar said softly.

"So..." Xavier answered back.

Gar rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding eye contact with Xavier. In all honesty Gar was a bit fearful of Xavier. In high school rumors fly around all the time, it was only natural that Gar heard a few things, and most if it was bad stuff about Xavier. "Uh... I'm gonna go play some pinball."

With that said Gar quickly left the table. After he left, Vic stood up as well.

"I need to use the john."

With the boys absence, all that was left was Dick and Xavier and their staring contest.

"You were awfully late." Dick commented.

"Uh, yeah. Ran into an old friend of mines. It took me awhile to shake him off."

"Uh huh," Dick crossed his arms. He didn't like the vibes he was getting from Xavier. "This friend of yours, is he in a gang?"

Xavier rose a brow. "Pardon?"

"Why the hell is a guy like you hanging out with Kori? What could you possibly want from her?"

"I don't want anything from her. What's with the second degree?"

"Come on, Xavier," began Dick. "You and Kori are from two different worlds. She's a good girl. She doesn't need someone like you messing up her life. Why don't you just leave."

"Oh, since I'm not some rich asshole of a snob that means I'm not good enough to be Kori's friend?"

"I didn't say that, what I--"

"I know exactly what you meant, and you can forget it," said Xavier lowly, glaring daggers at Dick. "I like hanging out with Kori. You can't get rid of me that easily so I suggest you learn to deal."

Dick glared back at Xavier. "And what if I choose not to?"

"Then you and I have a problem."

"Hey guys, what's up?" Kori asked, stepping up to the table.

Both boys turned their attention to the girl before them. They glanced at each other, then back at her.

"Nothing really," replied Dick. "I was just getting to know your friend here a little better. Isn't that right, Xavier?"

Xavier smiled innocently. "Totally."

TT

**SPECIAL THANKS TOO cookiesruletheworld, .Spaz-aatack101, featherpen13, Dancing-StarFrenzy, Blackfire009, ravencherithgirl, Trimacle, Ace.04, BerryDrops, MoreThenLikelyCrazy, tennisgal456, Affinitive AND NegativeCloud FOR THE AWESOME REVIEWS! YOU ARE ALL SO AWESOME AND I COULDN'T ASK FOR BETTER READERS. I HOPE EVERYONE LIKED THIS CHAPTER!**

**AND THAT'S HOW THE FEUD BETWEEN DICK AND XAVIER BEGAN.**

**TWO CHAPTERS LEFT UNTIL THE STORY IS OVER!**

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	19. Chapter 19

"There you are," Isaiah said happily, a smile on his face as he jogged up the hill and towards his girlfriend. "I was wondering where you disappeared to, Toni."

Toni, who was leaning against a tree with a magazine in hand, looked up and her eyes locked onto the brown eyes of her boyfriend. She peered around. "Where's Gan and Tavis?"

"They spotted some twins and ran off to go flirt," Isaiah explained as he sat down besides her and pulled her into his lap. Toni squirmed in his lap and settled in between his legs, her back resting against his chest as his arms wrapped around her waist. He sighed. "Some trip to the park this is turning out to be."

"It's not so bad," Toni commented. "It's given me some time to think."

"Think about what?"

"Oh nothing... Just my mom's new boy toy."

"She has a new boyfriend already? Damn, that was fast," Isaiah shook his head. "Wanna talk about it?"

Toni began her story about how her mother met her new boyfriend and Isaiah listened intently. "So now my mom's with this insanely rich guy, and she's completely head over heels for the jerk. She wants me to meet him. Supposedly their relationship is that serious. Ugh, I hate him already."

"You hate all your mom's boyfriends," Isaiah pointed out, earning a nudge from Toni. "You know... maybe you should give this one a chance. He might be different."

Toni rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

"Did you just whatever me?"

Toni giggled. "Maybe."

Isaiah smirked. "Oh it's on baby. C'mere!"

"Ah!"

Toni giggled as Isaiah ticked her sides. She attempted to crawl away but he easily stopped her from doing so. To prevent her from escaping he playfully tackled her to the ground, and in the scuffle he wound up on top, straddling her as he continued his tickling assault on her ribs. Toni laughed uncontrollably as she attempted to swat his hands away. No luck.

"Okay! Okay," she shouted over her laughs. "I give up! You win!"

Isaiah halted his hands, smirking at his girlfriend. "What was that? I don't believe I heard you."

Toni pouted at him. She hated having to admit defeat, she hated it even more when she was mocked by it. Isaiah chuckled at her expression. He knew he had her in a jam, and the expression on her face was just adorable.

"You're mean." Toni huffed, frowning at him.

"Aw, don't be that way," Isaiah cooed. "I'm sorry."

"You're a jerk." Toni said, attempting to hit him. Isaiah reacted quickly and caught her hands, pinning them above her head. Their faces then became centimeters apart and she felt herself blushing.

Isaiah dipped his head and captured her lips into a kiss. Toni eagerly responded and kissed him back. He released her hands and touched her cheek affectionally. Now that her hands were free, Toni wrapped her arms around his neck, her finger tips brushing against his curly black hair.

Eventually, the two separated to catch their breath.

"Mmm," Toni smiled in content, her eyes half lidded. "That was nice."

Isaiah grinned at her in return. "It was."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

She arched her neck and recaptured his lips in a kiss. Unfortunately for her and Isaiah, before the kiss could become more heated, they were interrupted. Running up the hill shouting their names came two very ecstatic boys. The thin boy with grey eyes and spiked up blonde hair paused at the sight of the couple on the ground in a compromising position. He grinned and released a wolf whistle, nudging the much larger boy at his side who had grey eyes and black and blue hair.

"Woo hoo! Lookie at what we got here, Gan," he announced. "Looks like some bow-chicka-bow-wow is going on!"

Toni and Isaiah broke away from their kiss and looked up, glaring. "Do you two mind?!" they snapped in union.

"Excuse me, but do you two mind," the blonde snapped back. "This is a park! For goodness sake old people and little kids come here. No one wants to see you two make out. Get a room."

Isaiah helped Toni to her feet and wrapped an arm around her waist. "You're just jealous you don't have a girlfriend, Tavis."

"Ah, but that's where you're wrong my dear friend. Show 'em, Gan."

The large boy held out a piece of scrap paper, smiling broadly. "Those twins we saw gave us their number! We have a date for next week."

"Wow, congratulations you two."

"Yeah, congrats," Isaiah said, pounding fist with both boys. "This calls for a celebration. I saw a ice cream vender not far from here. Ice cream on me."

"Sweet!"

"Alright!"

Score!"

Isaiah smiled. "Okay, vanilla for the twins, chocolate for me, and strawberry for my favorite girl," Isaiah kissed Toni's cheek and took off. "I'll be back in a flash!"

"Wait up, Isaiah," Gan called out, running behind his friend. "I wanna come too!"

Toni smiled, feeling simply delighted. She turned towards Tavis. "Isn't Isaiah just the best?"

"He sure is," Tavis said softly, sighing unhappily. "Man, I'm gonna miss that dude."

Toni rose a brow. "Pardon?"

Tavis, realizing what he just did, quickly tried to smother his words. "I mean, I miss him right now. I really wanted to tell him about the twins Gan and I met."

"Uh-huh," Toni frowned and narrowed her eyes, placing her hands on her hips. "Cut the crap, Tavis. I know something's up, now tell me what it is."

"C'mon, Toni, I'm not hiding anything."

"You are too hiding something, and it's something about Isaiah," Toni concluded. Immediately she feared the worse. "He didn't cheat on me did he? Ugh, if he did I'll kill him!"

"No, no, Toni," Tavis grabbed her shoulders, looking her in the eyes. "Isaiah did not cheat on you."

Toni sighed in relief. She looked at Tavis. "So if it's not that then what is it? Is he sick? If he is I deserve to know."

"It's not that either," Tavis answered, stepping away. He ran a hand through his blonde hair. He promised Isaiah he wouldn't say anything to Toni, but she was his friend too. He couldn't lie to her. "Look... awhile ago Isaiah told Gan and I some news. Isaiah is... he's..."

"He's what?" Toni asked, slightly fearful as to what this big secret could be.

"He's moving to Florida."

Toni felt as if someone had just squeezed her heart. "Florida," she repeated, feeling devastated. "What do you mean he's moving to Florida? How could he not tell me this?!"

"He wanted to be the one to tell you, but he was waiting for the right time. Isaiah would never purposely hurt you."

"Well he did." Toni hissed angrily, fish clenched.

"Dun-dun da-da," announced Gan, holding two vanilla cones in his hands. He handed one cone to his brother. "We have ice cream!"

"One strawberry ice cream cone for my favorite gal," Isaiah said cheerfully, handing the cone to Toni. He rose a brow when she didn't accept the treat. Toni loved sweets. "Is something wrong babe?"

"As a matter of fact yeah," Toni snapped, slapping the ice cream from his hand and glaring at him. "When the hell were you planning on telling me that you were moving?!"

Isaiah's mouth was agape and he looked over at Tavis. "You told her?"

"Yeah, he told me," Toni said, grabbing his attention. "Something you couldn't do."

"Toni, I--"

"Save it," she turned away, storming down the hill in a blaze of fury. "Some boyfriend you turned out to be."

Isaiah ran after her. "Toni, please--"

"Leave me alone!" she screamed furiously, turning around to glare at him. Tears ran down her eyes and she walked away from him.

Isaiah dropped to his knees and punched a fist to the ground. "Dammit!"

TT

Toni was absolutely furious with Isaiah for keeping a secret this big from her. How could he not tell her that he was moving? For crying out loud she was his girlfriend, he was supposed to tell her things, especially things that affected their relationship.

Toni frowned into her pillow, her mind trying to think of how life would be without Isaiah. To be honest she couldn't picture life without him. Ever since she moved to Jump City he had always been there for her.

When she was only in the sixth grade, Toni and her mother had moved from Colorado to Jump City. On her first day in her brand new school she had met Isaiah. He had been so kind and friendly to her, and they immediately became friends. He was the one to introduce her to Tavis and Gan. It was the first time in her life Toni actually had real friends. Before, when she lived in Colorado, she never got along well with the other children, which resulted with her becoming an outcast. Since Isaiah became her first friend she quickly grew attached to him, and eventually she developed feelings for him.

Isaiah developed feelings for her as well.

Toni recalled her first date with him as if it was yesterday. It was in the summer after the ending of sixth grade. He had taken her out bowling and they split a sundae. It was the most romantic night of her life.

Now that he was moving what would become of their relationship? Surely it would never work out. Long distance relationships never worked out. She believed this to be true after spending hours and hours watching romantic films and reading romantic novels.

Toni rolled over on her back, her red eyes glued to the ceiling of her room. Why did life have to be so difficult?

A knock was heard at her door.

Toni immediately sat up. "Isaiah?!"

The door opened, revealing Gan. He stepped in timidly. "Sorry, it's just me."

"Oh," Toni turned her head away sadly. Despite how angry she was, she wished it had been Isaiah at her door. "What do you want?"

"I was hoping we could talk," Gan said softly, sitting at the foot of her bed. "About Isaiah."

"Look, if he sent you to do his dirty work--"

"He didn't, I swear. I'm here because I was hoping to convince you to go talk to him."

Toni's eyes flashed angrily. "Why should I go talk to him? That jerk has been keeping a secret from me for who knows how long! And _you_, I shouldn't even be talking to you."

"Toni, we're all sorry about what we did, but none of us meant to hurt you. Especially not Isaiah. You know how much he cares about you. Just yesterday he wouldn't stop talking about you."

Toni rose a brow at this. "Really?"

"Yeah. He was going on and on about how much he loves you and how sorry he is."

"... Go on."

"And he really wants to talk to you."

Toni lowered her gaze, thinking deeply. No matter how angry she was at Isaiah, she knew she had to talk to him.

"I'll go talk to him."

TT

Upon hearing the door bell ring, Isaiah quickly went to go see who was on the other side. He peered through the peek hole and was surprised to see his girlfriend on the other side. Without a moments hesitation he quickly opened the door.

"Toni," he was overwhelmed with happiness to see her. "I thought you... I mean--"

"Before you go on a babbling rant how about letting me in." Toni suggested.

Isaiah quickly stepped to the side and allowed her entry. Upon stepping inside Toni glanced around. Boxes upon boxes were stacked in a pile and the walls were stripped of their frames. She tapped her foot against the wood floor, there used to be a carpet on the floor. Looking around once more Toni felt as if she just stepped into a gloomy atmosphere. Usually when she walked into Isaiah's house she was welcomed with a cozy and warm feeling. But not today. Today she didn't get that homey feeling she normally did. Looking at the bare walls and floor only made the fact that Isaiah was leaving a harsh reality, one that hurt Toni greatly.

"So this is it huh," Toni said softly, trying to force back tears. "You're really leaving?"

"Believe me I don't want to." Isaiah replied softly, sitting at the foot of the stairs and letting his head hang between his knees.

Toni sat down besides him and rubbed his back. She suddenly felt guilty. She had overreacted and only thought about herself. She forgot all about his feelings. Isaiah had lived in Jump City his whole life, he had a history here. He had friends here. He and her had just started high school, they only had a few weeks of school left. Leaving Jump City was harder on him than it was her.

"I'm sorry," Toni murmured softly, kissing his neck and rubbing his arms. She rested her head on his shoulder. "I shouldn't have gotten angry."

Isaiah took hold of her hand and squeezed it gently. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about me moving."

Toni sighed. "How much time do we have left?"

"About two weeks."

Only two weeks? Toni fought the urge to cry right then and there. She had to be strong. She had to be strong for Isaiah.

Squeezing his hand back she smiled at him. "Well then, let's make this the best two weeks of your life."

TT

Toni, Isaiah, Tavis and Gan couldn't control their laughter as they took a trip down memory lane. About a week had passed since the day Toni discovered that Isaiah was moving, and since that day the four friends had been trying to squeeze in as much time together as possible. They had little time left with Isaiah, and they wanted to make their last moments together count.

The group had already done an array of activities together, such as: going swimming, visiting the amusement park, a trip to the movies, and the arcade. Today, the group had settled down in the twins back yard for camping. They sat in a circle with junk food in their laps. Instead of telling ghost stories, they had instead chosen to tell stories of their past.

"Remember last summer when Toni and Gan streaked their hair?" Tavis said, munching on a bag of popcorn.

Toni laughed. "When my mom saw my red streaks she totally freaked on me. She was like, _your hair! What did you do to your hair?_"

Isaiah ruffled Toni's black and red streaked hair and chuckled. "She totally freaked out. I thought for sure she was gonna faint."

"You know who I thought was gonna faint," Toni began, looking over at Gan and smirking. "Gan last Thanksgiving. He looked like he had a heart attack when his mom burnt the turkey."

"Hey, if you wanna talk about burning stuff let's look at your boyfriend over here," said Gan. "Remember that time we were at his house and he tried cooking? He almost set the kitchen on fire."

"Okay, that was bad. My parents were so steamed," Isaiah chuckled and turned his eyes towards Tavis. "They reminded me of your parents when you broke their priceless vase."

"It was an accident!"

"Yeah, just like that time when you broke that ice sculpture at our aunt's wedding." quipped Gan, taking a bite out of a smore.

"Well you broke the car window. And the house window. And just last night you dropped a plate."

"Well you dropped the lamp."

The two twins glared at each other before they began a wrestling match with each other. Toni and Isaiah could only laugh.

TT

Before anyone realized, time had flown by and the day for Isaiah to leave came. Everything had already been gathered from Isaiah's house and into the family car. Everyone was prepared to go. Everyone but Isaiah. He still had to say goodbye to his friends.

Tavis, Gan, and Toni had gathered by the front porch of Isaiah's home. He stood before them, hands in his pockets.

"Well guys...," he began. "This is it."

"Isaiah, dude, it's been cool," Tavis said, bumping fist with the chocolate skinned boy before him. Isaiah bumped his fist and grabbed Tavis in a one armed hug. "You take care man. And I wanna hear about all the chicks you see in bikinis in Florida. Feel free to send me some pictures of that."

Isaiah ruffled his hair, laughing. "Try and stay outta trouble, Tavis."

"No promises."

Isaiah moved on to Gan next, looking up at his tall friend. He rose a brow. "Dude... are you crying?"

"No," Gan squeaked, rubbing his eyes. "I just got something in my eye."

Isaiah gave Gan a one armed hug. "You take care, Gan. And kick butt once you get to high school. I wanna hear about how awesome your grades are gonna be."

"Not as awesome as yours. You're a genius!"

"Yeah, I am, aren't I," Isaiah laughed and patted his friend on the shoulder. "You be good big guy."

"You too, dude."

Finally, Isaiah stepped up to Toni.

Isaiah wrapped her in a hug. "Toni... I'm gonna miss you so much."

Toni could feel the tears prick at her eyes. "I'm gonna miss you too."

"I promise I'll call, write, and e-mail."

Toni nodded her head. Her and Isaiah had discussed the topic of a long distance relationship a few days ago. They decided to give it a shot.

"Listen," Isaiah cupped her face and looked her in the eyes. "I love you, okay? No matter what happens from here on out, I will always love you."

"I love you too." she replied, tears spilling from her eyes as she embraced him again.

He kissed the top of her head. "Try and behave yourself, alright. And give your mom's new boyfriend a chance. He seems like a nice guy."

Toni giggled. "Okay. But if they get married don't think I'll be a sweet little step daughter or anything."

Isaiah chuckled. "I wouldn't dream of it."

They pulled apart and smiled at each other. Leaning in closer their lips met in a passionate kiss.

Isaiah's father beeped the horn and his mother poked her head out the window. "Son, we have to go!"

Isaiah wiped his eyes. He could feel the tears ready to fall. "I'm gonna miss you... All of you."

"We're gonna miss you too."

Isaiah lowered his head. "Bye guys."

"Bye, Isaiah."

"Bye."

"Goodbye, Isaiah."

Tavis, Gan, and Toni watched as their friend walked away. They watched him as he got in the back seat of his family's car, and they watched as the car drove further and further away.

"Do you think we'll ever see him again?" Gan asked, breaking the silence that had settled. Tavis looked down, not having an answer.

Toni sighed, lowering her gaze as well. "... I don't know."

TT

**SPECIAL THANKS TOO featherpen13, ravencherithgirl, BerryDrops, TerraBB4Eva, cookiesruletheworld, RobinxStarfireLuvr, Ace.04, .Spaz-attack101, Dancing-StarFrenzy, clarkLover1, NegativeCloud, MathGeek1o1, tennisgal456, Hexanna, AND Romancelover1321 FOR THE AWESOME REVIEWS! YOU GUYS ARE THE GREATEST! I HOPE YOU ALL LIKED THIS CHAPTER.**

**OKAY, CLEARLY THE LONG DISTANCE THING DIDN'T WORK OUT BETWEEN ISAIAH AND TONI. AT SOME POINT THE RELATIONSHIP ENDED, AND THEN TONI MOVED ON TO ALAIN. IN CASE ANYONE WAS WONDERING, OR WERE CONFUSED: **

**Isaiah Crockett - Hot Spot**

**Gan Williams - Thunder**

**Tavis Williams - Lightning**

**Toni Monetti - Argent**

**ONE MORE CHAPTER LEFT! OMG, FINALLY!**

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	20. Chapter 20

"You're going _where_?!" spluttered five bewildered teens, each with eyes as wide as saucers and mouths agape as they looked at their friend, mortified by the news just bestowed upon them.

Dick sighed and rubbed his temples before repeating himself. "Bruce, Alfred, and I are going to Paris for the summer."

His friends glanced at each other, the news beginning to sink in but still being written off. They looked at Dick with the same expression as before. "You're going _where_?!"

Dick crossed his arms, annoyed that he had to repeat himself more than once, and scowled at his friends. "Alright, that's enough! Seriously, it's not that big a deal."

"Not that big a deal," Karen repeated, shocked by Dick's indifferent tone. She threw her hands up, her tone rising. "Of course it's a big deal!"

"Yeah dude," agreed Gar. "You're gonna be gone the _whole_ summer. I mean, what about all the stuff we were gonna do?"

"Listen, guys, you know I would love to stay here in Jump and spend the summer with you... but there's nothing I can do. Bruce has final say with stuff like this."

"Oh, so that's it? He gets to pluck you out and throw you back in when it's September? Man, that's messed up," Vic commented. "Think about all the stuff you're gonna miss! We were gonna go to the beach."

"And have water balloon fights." Gar added.

"And go to the amusement park."

"And fill up on ice cream."

"And use your pool."

"And--"

Raven clapped her hands over the mouths of Gar and Vic. "I think he gets the point," she removed her hands, and though both boys scowled at her, they said nothing. They knew better than to mess with Raven. Raven glanced over at Dick. "So you're sure you can't get out of this?"

Dick nodded. "I've already tried. Bruce says I have to go, something about appearances... I don't know," Dick smiled. "But hey, it's only for the summer. Come September I'll be back in action and we'll be sophomores!"

"But until then we need to make due with what we have," announced Karen, pulling out a pink flier from her pocket. She slapped it down on the table for her friends to see and grinned. "The school is having a dance pretty soon. I say we all go to celebrate the ending of our freshman year and Dick's temporary farewell."

"Aw," Vic released a loud groan as he read the flier. "Do we have to? It says the dance is formal. I hate formal."

"Vic, you're my boyfriend. You have to go with me," Karen gave Vic 'the look'. "Please."

Vic crumpled at the sight of 'the look' and sighed. "Okay."

Karen squealed and clapped her hands excitedly, a thrilled smile coming to her face. "Yay! Now I have an excuse to buy that new dress I've been wanting."

"Way to crack under pressure, Vic." Gar quipped, amused.

"Shut it, midget...," Vic said, ruffling Gar's hair. "You're going, too."

"What! Aw man."

Raven chuckled.

Gar narrowed his eyes at her. "What, you think this is funny?"

"A little bit, yeah." she confessed with a shrug.

"Well laugh it up," said Gar, smirking. "At least I don't have to go dress shopping."

Karen's smile got even wider and she took Raven's hands in her own. "Yes! You, me, and Kori get to go dress shopping! And we can get to get our hair and nails done. Oh, and there's this new place at the mall with the cutest pair of shoes..."

As Karen rambled on Raven sent Gar a death glare. "I hate you."

Gar could only smirk. "So worth it."

"Uh, guys," Dick stood up, capturing the attention of his friends. "I'm gonna go get a soda. Anybody want anything?"

"Nah, I'm good."

"No thanks."

"I'll pass."

"Candy!"

Dick eyed Gar and nodded. "Right... Be right back."

"Wait up, Dick," Kori said quickly. "I'll come, too."

As Kori got up and walked away with Dick, the others couldn't help but stare.

Gar glanced at the others, a sly look in his eyes and a smirk on his face. "She likes him."

Although there was much truth to Gar's comment, it was something that Kori never admitted to. She didn't want anyone to know about the feelings she harbored for Dick. However, she planned to do something about it.

Ever since she realized she liked Dick she had kept her feelings a secret. She thought she could bury her emotions, but she soon realized that she couldn't. Little things that Dick did caught her attention. There were many times when she found herself daydreaming about him. Her skin trembled in pleasure by his simplest of touches. Little by little her feelings for him kept resurfacing, and Kori was finally willing to take a step with them.

Although she had admitted that she wasn't ready to actually tell him the truth, she had decided she would ask him out on a date. Her plan was to ask him out to the upcoming dance, and after that... Well, she hadn't planned that far, but she figured one small step was better than no step at all..

They reached the vending machine and Dick scanned over his options, his chin in hand while he contemplated what to get. Kori stood besides him, fiddling her fingers. Now was the perfect opportunity to ask him. They were alone, so what was she waiting for?

"Uh... um...," Kori clenched her hands and looked at him, determined. She had to act now before she lost her nerve. "Dick, I--" 

"What do you think I should get," Dick cut her off. "Orange or grape?"

Kori took a deep breath, her nerves beginning to work their way back. "Uh... grape."

"Sweet." Dick dug around in his pockets, searching for a dollar.

Kori released a breath of air, releasing any negative thoughts along with it. She was ready to ask him again. "Dick, there's som--"

"Hey, Kori, could I borrow a dollar?"

She wavered a bit, her mouth going dry, but answered him. "S-sure," she reached into her pocket and handed him the currency. "Here."

"Thanks." he took it and slipped it in the machine.

Once again, Kori opened her mouth, ready to ask him. "Dick, would you--"

"Oh come on," Dick snapped angrily, bumping the machine with his fist. "Give up my soda you hunk of junk!"

Kori sighed, her eyes closing in frustration. "Here, let me..."

She stepped up to the machine and elbowed the side. Once she did that a can of grape soda came tumbling down and emerged at the opening.

"Sweet," Dick bent down to get his drink. "Thanks, Kori."

"You're welcome," Kori paused, her gaze on Dick. She expected him to say something, anything, that would throw her off and make her lose her focus. However, he didn't. He stood there, can in hand, waiting patiently. Kori figured he was waiting for the contents of the can to calm down before opening it. Now was her chance. "Dick, there's something really important that I have to ask you."

Dick rose a brow and gave Kori his undivided attention. "Sure, Kori, what is it?"

Kori almost smiled. She had finally managed to gather his attention. Now all she needed was to ask him out and hopefully all would be well. "It's about the dance. I was wondering if--"

"Well, well, well, what do we have here," cut in the voice of a tall, very attractive, junior girl. Clad in short shorts and a halter top, she immediately caught the attention of Dick, who immediately turned his focus to her. The girl stepped in the middle of Dick and Kori and looked him up and down with her vibrant blue eyes. She smiled at him with her red lips and flicked her long black hair over her shoulder, accidently hitting Kori in the face in the process. "You're Dick Grayson, aren't you?"

Dick smirked instantly, and Kori could tell the playboy in him had just risen from its slumber. "Why, as a matter of fact I am," Dick took the girl's hand in his own and kissed it. He looked at the girl from behind his dark shades. "Who might you be?"

"My name is Melissa."

"You mean Melissa from the cheerleading team?"

"I see you've heard of me."

Dick's grin got even wider and Kori rolled her eyes.

"So, Melissa, what brings you here?"

"Well, there's this dance happening at school. I'm sure you've heard of it," she explained, placing a hand on Dick's cheek and smiling. "And as it turns out I happen to be without a date."

"A pretty thing like yourself? Impossible."

Kori put a finger to her mouth and made a gagging noise.

"It's a shame, I know. But the word is that you're dateless, too."

Kori's eyes widened in fright. She knew where this was going.

"Since we're both without escorts how would you like to go with me? I can make it your worth wild." she pecked his neck and smirked at him.

Dick grinned. "I'd be an idiot if I said no."

Melissa instantly pulled away and smiled, satisfied. "Good. I'll see you at the dance then."

"Bet on it." Dick said softly, eyeing her as she walked away. Once she was out of sight he turned around to face Kori. "So, Kori, what was it that you were saying?"

Despite having her dream of asking Dick to the dance brutally torn before her very eyes, Kori managed a smile. She didn't want to show Dick how hurt she was. "Oh, it's nothing. Forget I even said anything."

TT

"Why so glum, Kori?" Karen asked as she held up a dress for Raven to see, only for the goth girl to shake her head no.

Kori turned to Karen and faked a smile. "Karen, I have no idea what you're talking about. Nothing is wrong. Everything is wonderful."

"Girl, we're at the mall, the mall you love," Karen pointed out. "And you've barely touched a hanger. Now what's up? You've been acting funny almost all day."

Kori sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "Well... it's about the dance. You see... I don't really want to go."

"Don't want to go? But, Kori... you love dances!" Karen exclaimed, shocked by her friend's words.

Kori shrugged indifferently. "It's just a dance."

"Just a dance?! All our friends will be there. And it's Dick's last night to party with us before he goes to Paris. He'll be gone for two whole months!"

Kori narrowed her eyes at the mention of Dick and crossed her arms. "It wouldn't matter if I'm there or not because Dick will have that slutty... little... _bitch _Melissa hanging all over him!"

Karen and Raven stared at Kori with wide eyes, shocked by her outburst. Kori, upon realizing what she just said, blushed and looked away. For a short amount of time the three girls stood in silence. It wasn't until Raven decided to speak that it was broken.

"Kori... are you... are you jealous?" Raven inquired carefully.

Kori's eyes went wide and she began to babble. "What? No. No! Why would you even think that? I'm not jealous. I'm not jealous at all. Me, jealous? Pfft. As if. Yeah right. Like that could ever happen." Kori chuckled nervously.

Raven and Karen glanced at each other, then at Kori. They weren't convinced, and Kori could tell by the looks they were giving her.

"Really, girls, I'm not jealous. Really, I'm not. As a matter of fact I have a date of my own." Kori lied. In reality she didn't have a date, but if it could get Karen and Raven off her back she would be saved from having her secret spilled.

"Well that's great, Kori...," said Karen, grinning. "Because that means you have to go to the dance now. You wouldn't want to leave your date all alone, now would you?"

Kori gulped and shook her head.

Karen smiled, satisfied. "Good, because I can't wait to meet him. Now help me find a dress for Raven."

Kori slapped her forehead, groaning. "Me and my big mouth..."

TT

It was lunch time for a select few at Jump City High School, among those select few were Dick, Vic, and Gar. The boys sat at their usual table without the girls, who were still waiting on line; the girls had gone to the bathroom first and arrived late to the lunchroom. As the boys waited, they decided to begin a conversation about the dance. Dick began the conversation, bragging about how he "scored" a date with Melissa.

Vic and Gar were wide eyed with mouths agape.

"No way...," Gar was stunned as well as impressed. "You actually managed to get a date with Melissa? Cheerleader Melissa? Dude, how'd you pull that off?

Dick smiled smugly. "She was dazzled by my charm."

Dick couldn't help but play the role of a big-shot at the moment. Besides, what he was saying wasn't a complete lie.

"So Melissa huh," Vic shook his head. "And here I thought you would've taken Kori."

Dick rose a brow. "Why'd you think that?"

"You mean besides the fact that you like her?" Gar quipped.

Dick glared at him. "I do _not _like Kori."

"Seriously man, how come you didn't ask Kori? You've been taking her to dances ever since middle school, that is, when you've both been single."

"Those were middle school dances. They didn't mean anything. And besides, it's not like Kori's my girlfriend. She's my best friend, always has and always will be. Plus, this is _Melissa_ were talking about. Melissa! I'd be a freakin' retard to pass up the chance to go out with her."

"Speak of the she-devil...," murmured Gar. "Here comes your date now, Dick."

Dick turned around instantly, a wide smile coming to his face when he spotted Melissa. He stood up and met up with her before she reached his table. "Melissa, hey."

"Dick, just the person I was looking for," she said, putting her hands on her hips. "We need to talk about the dance."

Dick nodded his head, practically floating on air in pure bliss. "Right, I actually wanted to ask you a question. You see, I wanted to get you a corsage but I didn't know what kind of flower to get you."

"Oh, that's so sweet of you," she said, pinching his cheek and then pulling away. "But it's not necessary. You see... there's been a change in plans."

He blinked, confusion setting in. "What do you mean?"

"Listen, Dick, you're really cute and popular but I have a boyfriend."

"What do you mean you have a boyfriend," he hissed angrily, glaring. "If you have a boyfriend why the hell did you ask me out?"

"It's like this. My boyfriend and I got in this huge argument, and he said he didn't want to take me to the dance. So, I went for the next best thing, which just so happened to be you," she explained. "He found out, got really jealous, and begged me to take him back. So, I did."

Dick felt like pulling out his own hair. "What?!"

Melissa crossed her arms and rolled her eyes, annoyed. "Long story short, you're dateless for the dance," she smiled wickedly and walked away. "Toddles!"

Dick huffed and stomped back over to his table, rejoining his friends. Gar and Vic looked at him with curious eyes when he sat down.

"So what Melissa say?"

"Uh... Melissa," Dick bit his lip, thinking of an excuse. He couldn't tell them the truth, not after what happened. It was too embarrassing, and he knew he would be teased about it. "She wanted to tell me she couldn't make it, uh... her grandma's sick."

"Oh, wow. Poor Melissa," Gar looked over at Dick. "So what are you gonna do now, Dick?"

"Yeah man, you can't go to the dance without a date. I mean, you're _Dick Grayson_. You gotta have a date."

Dick shrugged indifferently. "Hey, don't worry. I'll just ask Kori."

"You're in luck," pointed out Vic. "Here she comes now."

"And with a friend." Gar added.

Dick turned around and was met with the sight of Kori holding hands with some boy. He was muscular and tall with messy brown hair and green eyes. The boy stopped Kori and leaned in for a kiss. Dick clenched his fist, ready to go over there and do some damage, but settled down when he saw Kori pull away and the boy's lips land on her cheek. Kori awkwardly waved farewell to the boy, and along with Raven and Karen who were behind her, headed towards their usual lunch table.

Dick's eyes were on Kori the whole time, and once she sat down besides him he opened his mouth to speak. "Kori, who was that guy you were with?"

Gar and Vic leaned in, curious. Karen and Raven turned their attention towards Kori and Dick, too.

"Oh, him? That's Edmund," Kori paused. "My date for the dance."

Dick nearly fainted.

TT

The day of the dance finally arrived, and the students of Jump City High School were enjoying themselves. As the beat of the music drummed through their ears they swayed their hips, twisted their bodies, and spun around. Just as the DJ switched songs, a good portion of students entered the dance. The students who entered were Dick, Raven, Gar, Vic, and Karen.

Upon entering the dance, Karen's eyes lit up. "This is my favorite song. Vic, can we--"

Vic already had taken her hand and was leading her to the dance floor. "Nothing would make me happier, darlin'."

Gar eyed Raven, his date for the evening. Both weren't able to find dates so they agreed to go together as friends. "Rae, you wanna--"

"Don't call me Rae." Rave cut in stubbornly.

Gar released a frustrated sigh. "Listen, you wanna dance or not?"

Raven crossed her arms. Although she didn't want to admit it, she did have a small urge to dance. "Whatever."

Gar beamed at her and took her hand. "I'll take that as a yes."

He lead her to the dance floor, leaving Dick by himself. Dick put his hands in his pockets and looked at his friends. He had to admit, both Karen and Raven looked absolutely gorgeous. Karen wore a yellow halter dress that fitted her figure perfectly. Raven wore a dark blue dress that tied around her neck and highlighted her skin very well.

Dick turned his attention to the boys and chuckled. Vic had worn an all white suit and black shirt along with a matching white hat. It was a funny sight to see that Karen had plucked the hat off his head and placed it on her own. Dick looked over at Gar and shook his head. Gar had worn an old blue suit and bow tie from his middle school days which didn't fit him all that well; the jacket sleeves were short so it exposed his wrist, and the pants showed off just a bit of his socks. Even so, Gar didn't seem to mind, and Raven didn't seem to care.

Someone tapped his shoulder, grabbing his attention. Dick turned around, and he could have sworn he was in the presence of a goddess. There, in all her glory, stood Kori, dressed in a purple gown and long white gloves.

Dick smiled softly at her. "Kori... wow. You look... fantastic."

Kori smiled at him kindly. "Thank you. So do you," she reached out and patted his shoulders, dusting off imaginary dust. She then fiddled with his bow tie to make sure it was on correctly. "Where are the others?"

"You just missed them. They all went to the dance floor," Dick looked around her. "Where's your date?"

"Edmund went to get a drink," Kori looked around him. "Where's your date?"

"Melissa... she uh... she..."

Kori rose a brow.

Dick sighed, shoulders slumping. "She ditched me."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that... If you want maybe we could--"

"Yo, Kori," Edmund threw an arm over her shoulders and pulled her close while taking a sip of his drink. He looked at Dick and glared at him. "Hey man... Where's your date?"

Dick frowned at him. He didn't like this guy. "I actually came alone."

"Really? Well, sucks to be you man." Edmund laughed.

Dick laughed with him, though it was forced. "Wow, that's funny. Say, Kori, where's Xavier? I haven't seen him."

"Xavier said he had something important to do so he couldn't make it."

Edmund eyed Kori nervously. "Y-you're friends with Xavier?"

Kori nodded and Edmund gulped. This caused Dick to smirk. Maybe this would make Edmund back off.

Edmund withdrew his arm from around Kori's shoulder and took another sip of his drink. His hands shook a bit. "Uh... I-I'm gonna go get a refill."

Dick narrowed his eyes. As much as he disliked this guy, he wasn't going to let Kori get ditched. She didn't deserve that. "I'll join you."

They both walked past Kori, leaving her in a bewildered state.

TT

Roy looked over at Alain with shocked eyes. His best friend, who he had ridiculed earlier for showing up to a dance dateless, was suddenly surrounded by a large group of girls. Roy rubbed his eyes, hoping that perhaps what he was seeing was just a mirage caused by the lights. When he returned his eyes back to Alain, he was shocked to see that even more girls had surrounded him.

"How the hell is he doing that?!" Roy spluttered, bewildered.

"I don't know," Jade shrugged. "I think it has something to do with him being on the swim team. Or maybe it's the way he's dressed."

Roy looked down at himself. He had chosen to wear a black suit and tie. He then looked over at Alain who had only worn pants and a shirt that wasn't fully buttoned.

"It could be the hair."

Roy scoffed. "Please, I have way better hair than Alain."

"Enough about Alain," Jade took Roy's hands in her own and smiled at him. "Come dance with me."

Roy looked Jade up and down and the smile on his face got wider by the second. Jade looked incredible in her green dress. "If my lady wants a dance then it's a dance she shall get."

As Roy lead Jade to the dance floor, they passed by Alain.

"Roy! Jade! Help!" Alain whimpered as another girl clutched his arm. The couple ignored him, they were to consumed in each other to notice.

Meanwhile... Wally drummed his fingers against the table he was sitting at. Sitting besides him was Jenn, dressed in a black dress with long sleeves. The two were unable to find dates for the dance and had came together. Despite this, Jenn refused to call it a date, much to Wally's disappointment. Since they arrived at the dance they had spent their time sitting down. They didn't bother to dance, and they barely spoke a word to each other.

Wally sighed, frustrated with his current predicament. Here he was with the girl he was infatuated with, this was a moment he had been waiting for, and yet he was miserable. He wanted Jenn to talk to him. He wanted to dance with her so that way he would have an excuse to hold her close. He didn't want to spend this precious time with her at a stupid table. Wally turned towards Jenn and opened his mouth, ready to speak.

Jenn cut him off before he could even start. "Just because I'm here with you doesn't mean this is a date. So that means I don't have to talk to you, or dance with you."

Wally wasn't going to stand for this. "Alright then, how's about we make a bet?"

Jenn eyed him. "What kind of bet?"

"We flip a coin. If it's heads then you have to act as if this is a date. That means conversations, dancing, the works."

"And if it's tails?"

"Then I'll shut up and leave you alone."

Jenn paused, unsure. It took awhile for her to finally make up her mind. "Fine. You're on."

Wally quickly removed a coin from his pocket. "Ready?"

"Ready."

He flipped the coin and caught it, placing it on his hand. He removed it, and to his surprise the coin showed up heads.

Jenn's eyes widened and she glared at him. "What the fuck?! You son of a bitch! You cheated!"

"I did nothing of the sort," Wally smirked. "Now I do believe you owe me a dance."

Jenn sighed and stood up from her seat. "Fine. Just keep your hands were I can see them."

TT

Dick cleared his throat, capturing Edmund's attention. "So, you and Kori huh?"

"Yup." Edmund refilled his cup with punch.

"So... you like her?"

"Yeah, she's cool. Real pretty, too."

A dreamy expression came to Dick's face as he recalled how beautiful Kori looked in her dress. "Yeah..."

Edmund caught sight of this and smirked. He nudged Dick's side. "Yeah, she's a hot little thing, isn't she? Just between you and me I plan on taking her somewhere a little more private, if you know what I mean."

Dick narrowed his eyes. "Excuse me?"

Edmund rolled his eyes. "Oh yeah, I forgot, you're still a freshman. I guess you haven't learned everything us sophomores have learned."

"Just what the hell does that mean?"

"Dude, do I have to spell it out for you? I'm taking Kori home with me tonight for a no pants party."

Dick narrowed his eyes. Forget not wanting Kori to be ditched, he was going to teach this guy a lesson. "Like hell you are!"

"Whoa, take it easy there little man."

"Take it easy? That's my friend you're talking about you ass!"

"Well if she's just your friend she's free to do whoever she wants!"

That was the last straw for Dick. There was absolutely no way he was going to let someone as vulgar as this put their hands on Kori. Balling his hand into a fist Dick threw a punch at Edmund, his fist connecting with his nose. Edmund fell to the ground, and just as Dick was about to lunge at him, someone pulled him back.

"Yo, Dick, calm down," Roy said. "What the heck is going on here?"

Dick ignored Roy and shouted at Edmund. "If I catch you laying a finger on her I swear I'll rip your head off! You hear me you son of a bitch! You stay away from her!"

Edmund rose to his feet and glared at the younger teen. "Forget this! If you want her so badly you can have her. I'm out of here."

Edmund stormed off, and once he was out of sight Roy released his hold on Dick.

"Dude, what was that all about?"

"That jerk was talking trash about Kori."

"And you defended her? Aw! Dick, that's so sweet," Jade said. "I knew you liked Kori."

"What? No I don't."

"You do, too. You totally like her."

"I do not. That's crazy talk. You're crazy," Dick looked away, a blush coming to his cheeks. "I gotta go find Kori and explain to her why her date suddenly went missing."

Dick walked past Jade and Roy, in search of Kori.

Jade looked at Roy with a knowing smile on her face. "He likes her."

"Totally."

TT

It was the big dance, and the best Kitten could manage for a date was someone she considered a nerd from the chess team. Her original plan was to take Fang with her to the dance, but the two broke up two weeks earlier. He had caught her flirting with Dick again and didn't like it. The two got in an argument and called their relationship off.

Kitten eyed her date, Scott, who she was dancing with. If it wasn't for the big glasses, short cut, braces, and scrawny figure he probably wouldn't be so bad. Still, he was no Fang, or Dick for that matter. She figured it was about best time to ditch him.

"Scott," Kitten called out over the loud music. She put a hand on his shoulder, halting him for dancing and grabbing his attention. "I'm going to go sit down for awhile."

He nodded at her. "Okay, I'll come with you."

"No," Kitten shouted. She needed an excuse, and fast. "You stay here and continue dancing." She smiled at him. "You look so _cute _while doing it."

"Very well then." Scott smiled and spun around, walking backwards.

Kitten rose a brow, but shook her head. She headed for the table she and Scott, along with Cindy and Mandy and their dates, had occupied earlier. Taking a seat, she sighed, frustrated.

"This dance blows." she mumbled, resting her cheek in the palm of her hand and leaning her elbow on the table.

"Wow. Never thought I'd hear you say those words."

Kitten turned around, shock written across her features. "Fang?!"

"The one and only," he took the empty seat next to her and grinned. She looked wonderful in her strapless pink dress. "How's about a dance?"

"How's about not?"

"Oh, I get it, you're still mad about before. Well, I'm sorry okay. I just hate the idea of you and Dick. Take me back, baby. Please," Fang paused, waiting for her to say something. She said nothing and instead crossed her arms, looking away. He sighed and reached into his pocket. "I figured you'd still be mad so I got you this."

He revealed a long gold chain with a pink stone as a pendent. It sparkled in the light and immediately caught Kitten's attention.

She snatched the necklace away from him, admiring it. "It's beautiful!"

"Yeah, well, I went through a lot of trouble to steal it."

"Oh, Fang," Kitten threw her arms around his neck and nuzzled his chest. "Let's never fight again."

She planted a kiss on his lip and they smiled in content.

TT

Dick wandered around, looking left and right in search of Kori. He had yet to find her, and it was beginning to frustrate him. What frustrated him even more was the fact that everyone kept accusing him of liking Kori. Kori was his best friend, he didn't like her. He couldn't like her. It would ruin their friendship.

Still, he had to admit, she was beautiful. _Extremely _beautiful. More beautiful than any of the girls he dated, that's for sure. She was flawless. Not only was she a goddess, but she was kind and understanding. She was the nicest person he knew. Kori would make the perfect girlfriend.

Dick instantly paused, mortified at the thought. He wasn't supposed to have thoughts like that, not when it came to Kori. What was he thinking? He shouldn't be thinking about how soft her skin was, or how bright her eyes were. Nor should he be thinking about the scent of her hair, which just so happened to be strawberries and peaches.

"Dammit!" Dick lightly tapped his head, shaking it. What was wrong with him? Was it possible that he actually had romantic feelings for Kori? Everyone else seemed to think so.

That's when something caught his eye, or rather someone. Not that far from where he was standing was Alain, hiding behind a table and nervously looking around. He saw his friend dive under a table when a group of girls walked past. Dick rose a brow and made his way over to his friend. Pulling the table cloth back he looked at Alain.

"What the hell are you doing?"

Alain pulled Dick under the table with him. He didn't want Dick to blow his cover. "Hiding. There's this group of fangirls that have been bothering me the whole night."

"Wow. Sucks to be you man." Dick said sarcastically.

"Shouldn't you be with your date or something? I heard you got a date with Melissa."

"Oh, right, her. She couldn't come so I came alone."

"Sorry about that dude."

"Don't be. She's the farthest thing from my mind."

"Something you need to talk about, Dick?"

"Well... actually, yeah. You see, there's this girl, and I think I like her."

"You think?"

"Yeah, you see, that's the problem. I'm not sure if I do. She's always sorta just been there, like... like the comic book you see on the shelf and never get. And recently there's this guy she was with, and the thought of her and him together made me nuts."

"Oh, so you were jealous?"

"Extremely," Dick admitted. "I saw this guy as a threat, as someone who could take her away from me, so I flipped out on him. Now I'm thinking I only did it because I like her."

"Well it sounds like you do."

"But I'm still so unsure. I've never thought of her like this before. How do I tell if I really like her?"

"Beats me man. It's a feeling that will come to you when you least expect it to, and I'm guessing it'll be like a 'spark' or something. You'll know when you know," Alain raised the table cloth and looked around. "Now if you'll excuse me, I gotta jet before those girls find me."

"Right, good luck with that. And thanks man, this talk really helped."

"Glad I could help. And good luck with that girl," Alain then crawled out from under the table, Dick following his lead. He spotted the group of girls that had been chasing him and they spotted him. "Oh crap!"

Alain made a run for it with the girls chasing him not far behind. "Get him!"

Dick shook his head at the sight and turned around. Once he did that he saw Kori. She was looking around, and once she saw him she smiled. Dick put a hand to his chest, swearing he felt something. Could that have been the spark Alain spoke of? As Kori drew closer, the feeling returned, only stronger, and it was at that moment Dick realized something.

He liked Kori.

It was an overwhelming yet jubilant realization, and once Kori was close enough Dick scooped her up in a hug and spun her around. The feelings he felt for her were incredible and warm. Perhaps it would feel even better if he told her of those feelings.

Dick smiled and placed her on the ground, ready to share with her his newly discovered feelings. However, once he caught sight of her eyes, he paused and began to reconsider. If he told her the truth everything would change, possibly for the worst. What if confessing to her meant destroying their friendship? What if he was to hurt her? What if she didn't feel the same way? She probably didn't, but even if she did what good would that do? He would be gone the whole summer. That's no way to start a beginning romance.

"Dick? Dick?"

Dick shook his head, snapping out of his stupor.

"Dick, what's gotten into you? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I-I'm fine," Dick couldn't tell her the truth, not now, not ever. "Sorry about that, I just got caught up in the moment."

"It's okay," Kori said, smiling. "No harm done. It was actually kinda nice."

"I'm just... really glad to see you."

Kori rose a brow, wondering why he suddenly sounded so serious. "Are you sure you're okay?"

He nodded at her.

"Good, because I have something I need to ask you," she said. "Just what the heck happened to you and Edmund? You both go to get punch and then disappear. I've been looking everywhere for you two."

"Edmund...," Dick bit his lip. "Had to leave. He wasn't feeling to good."

"I wish he would've said something. I would've helped him home."

"It was a spur of the moment thing. Don't worry about him, he'll be fine."

"If you say so," Kori sighed and looked at the dance floor. "I guess that means we're both dateless."

Dick took her hand in his. "At least we're together."

Kori squeezed his hand, a smile coming to her lips. "That's true."

A new song began to play and couples drew in closer to each other. It was a slow song.

As the music filled their ears, Kori and Dick looked at each other.

Dick smiled at her and gingerly tugged her towards the dance floor. "Kori, would you do me the honor and dance with me?"

Kori smiled back at him. "It would be my pleasure."

TT

**AND THAT'S HOW DICK REALIZED HE LIKED KORI.**

**SPECIAL THANKS TOO Dancing-StarFrenzy, Hexanna, clarkLover1, Morbid Poet, BerryDrops, Romancelover1321, Ace.04, .Spaz-attack101, featherpen13, alice in wonderland, NegativeCloud, ravencherithgirl, tennisgal456 AND RavenSis FOR THE AWESOME REVIEWS! YOU GUYS ARE THE GREATEST!**

**IT'S BEEN A LONG JOURNEY BUT AT LAST THE STORY HAS COME TO AN END, AND I COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT ANY OF YOU. YOU ALL HAVE BEEN SO GOOD TO ME AND THE SUPPORT YOU'VE ALL GIVEN ME IS INCREDIBLE. I COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOU GUYS. THANK YOU ALL!**

**WELL, THIS IS THE END! BUT IF YOU WANT MORE THERE'S ALWAYS Hanging By A Moment.**

**REVIEW**

**REVIEW**

**REVIEW**


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